Burning times
by GalliaDavia
Summary: Sequel to "Breakout" - Victor Creed/Sabretooth meeting the rest of the X men crew - trouble s already up on the horizon!Rated M for rough language, sex and violence! I suck at summaries, just check it out and review!
1. Bad boy coming home

**Disclaimer first :** I don´t own any of the characters of X Men and I don´t publish this to get money out of it in any way – it´s just for fun and for all who liked the latest X Men movie as much as I did!

**Please note :** This is a sequel to my story "Breakout". There shouldn´t be too much trouble to understand what happens in the first few chapters of this story, but I can´t guarantee that for the rest - so please note and - if you like - start reading how things began first!

**Warning :** The story is rated M for containing rough language, sex and violence - if you don´t like it, I recommend not to read further.

**My request : Read, enjoy**** - and please, please review !!!**

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He arrived later at he himself had expected – it was already dark. Still, there was light behind some of the windows of the small house, though everything lay silent.

He had been busy for a while, down in the south. It had taken him longer than planned. He hadn´t seen her for five weeks.

He remembered their last night quite clearly. She had been dead tired. She had just had moved into the house then, and had just started a new job. She had badly needed some sleep.

At last, he had asked her, sounding quite amused, why she struggled so hard not to fall asleep.

She gave him one of these looks, half disapproving, half regretful. "What ?" he had challenged. "If I fall asleep, I´ll wake up alone." As usual. He had raised an eyebrow. She had sighed. "If I stay awake, I´ll get at least a goodbye." She had blushed after that, and he had loved the sight.

Well, she had gotten her goodbye the next morning. Calmly, softly, teasingly. He had scratched her, accidentally, in the heat of the moment. He had grinned later on when she had realized it and complained. "That will remind you of my existence", he had teased. She had rolled her eyes, sighing again, looking down at herself. "One could get the impression that you´ve made a nice souvenir out of my whole body!" It hadn´t been an accusation. He wondered from time to time why she didn´t care about the scars he had left over the months. He had no clue as for an answer.

He had left later as he´d planned the next morning, stunned. He couldn´t remember the last girl he had allowed to disturb his schedule. She had brought him to the door, as a good girl should. When they had parted after another kiss, she had grabbed his shirt. "Will you call me ?" she asked – blushing again. He had stared at her, surprised. "What the hell for ?" he had asked, bewildered. She had grimaced. "At least to let me know that you´re still alive, creep!" "Holy shit, girl, I _can´t_ die, remember ?" She only threw him another disapproving look. "You can´t or you´re just to stubborn to get killed ?" He had only snarled. For decency´s sake.

He _had_ called her occasionally – but they both hadn´t enjoyed that much.

* * *

As ususal, he entered through the backdoor, leading into the kitchen. It looked messy. She had cooked – this was the regular consequence. Hard to say how a single person – especially a girl - could cause such a chaos when left alone in a kitchen. Fortunately, her cooking had improved over the months. He glanced around and grinned. He was able to see a part of the living room through the kitchen´s door. Though he couldn´t see her completely, he realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch. Waiting. A naked leg peeked out under her dress. He watched for a moment. That nightdress was new. The tan coloured silky cloth emphasized the shade of her skin nicely.

He entertained the thought of waking her the usual way – appearing silently out of nowhere besides her and scare her to death – but decided against that. He grabbed the backdoor´s doorknob again and slammed the door, instead. She flinched. His hearing caught the sound of a book dropping to the floor. A mess of dark brown slightly curled hair appeared at the edge of the couch´s backrest.

She muttered something uncomprehensible, suppressing a yawn. Then her look fell on him.

For a moment, she just watched while she waited for her body to fully return to consciousness. She let one forearm rest on the backrest, leaning her head against it. As it often happened when one saw somebody for the first time again after a while, she noticed certan details more clearly than usual.

She bit her lower lip, realizing how badly she had missed that massive appeareance. The wary intense grey eyes. She gazed at his powerful physique for a moment. He opened his lips a bit, exposing his fangs. She could also tell that he looked relaxed. She hadn´t been able to read the signs when they had first met. But she had learned meanwhile. Besides of being glad that he was back, the view made her hormones freak out immediately.

He looked always dark and bad tempered, admittedly, but there were nuances. He looked somehow portentous this evening, but somehow contented, too – that meant, everything was presumably alright.

She had never asked him what he did for living, but she knew that whatever it was, he got highly paid. Regarding the dangerous potential of his mutation and the few details she knew about from his past, she had done some guesswork, though. The one and only time they had talked about this, he had told her that it wouldn´t be safe for her to know. She had seen that confirmed only hours later when they had been attacked. She had seen him fight there. She had witnessed him killing.

In a way, something told her that it was maybe better not to know more. Not only regarding the potential risk of being threatened, but also regarding her peace of mind in general. Still, not knowing what he was up to or what might happen to him made her worry, even if he was almost immortal. She could guess that there were still ways left nobody had tried on him so far.

Finally, she got up and crossed the distance between them. She had never figured out what kind of welcome would be right. He got rid of his dark coat, his eyes never leaving her. He eyed her up quickly. She had gained some weight. He liked the way the knee long but still revealing nightdress accented her curves. She stopped in front of him, looking up to him. Her scent, though unobtrusively all over the place, surrounded him fully then. They stood for a moment in silence.

For him, her scent was the most important piece to complete the picture. It was more important than anything his eyes would perceive. It told him immediately how she was and how she felt. It intoxicated him right now.

He didn´t even realize that she had watched him questioningly. She squealed in surprise when he grabbed her, lifting her up, pinning her back against the fridge, bending down for a kind of violent kiss. He took his time. She slid her arms around his neck, though secured by his tight grip. She would have kissed him back one way or the other, but right at the moment, there was no way for her to take action. He was in command. And this seemed quite urgent. Finally, she cocked her head to escape his attack for a moment. He grunted. She laughed lowly in response. "One of us still´s got to breathe", she whispered. Another kiss followed. He could smell her arousal. She became aware of his needs the traditional way, but no second later than he did. She raised her eyebrows when he pinned her more closely to the fridge to get one hand free.

"Let me down", she whispered. "I won´t run!" He sniffed, putting her down onto the counter instead. He wasn't willing to only loosening his grip for a moment. He forced her into another kiss, pressing into her. She felt his hands roaming over her body. Leaving a scratch under her shoulder, forcing her to stay close to him. She grabbed his wrist when his hand moved over her thigh, shoving up her dress. "I got a bedroom now", she teased, smiling suggestively. She actually hadn´t got one when he´d left – the furniture had been delivered just a week ago. She had looked forward to _really _checking out the bed since then. She laughed lowly, realizing that he didn´t really care about comfort right now.

He finally spoke. "What´s so funny ?" She placed a kiss on his chin. "I just find it astonishing what five weeks of abstinence can do to a man." He grinned. "Haven´t you wondered what five weeks of abstinence might do the girl who´s up to produce his relief ?" She only smiled. "Take me upstairs and show me", she challenged.


	2. Dinner

He had no eyes for his surroundings. He put her back on her feet when they reached the bedroom. She reached out to unbutton his shirt but he grabbed her hands. "Not now", he told her, doing it himself. He lost the rest of his clothes quite quickly, too, conducting her to the huge bed.

With another man, celebrating his return would surely have been different. They would maybe have had a late dinner. He would maybe have wanted to have a shower. There might have been some kissing and cuddling on the couch, with a glass of wine.

Well, having a feral mutant like Victor Creed as a lover meant that things would go straight this way. Sethra didn´t bother. She would never have expected him to behave like other men. It would have been ridiculous to do so anyway.

Expectably, the first round passed rough and quickly. That guy was selfish concerning that. Round 1 was for him and his needs – everything else to be considered and taken care of later on. She didn´t resist – it had been pointless anyway.

He turned to his back afterwards, positioning her above him. She got into a sitting position, watching him relax. "You´re out of practice", she taunted, smiling. "Careful, darling", he whispered. "I got more perseverance than you." "A threat or a promise ?" she shot back.

He padded her tigh. "You gained weight." She figured that this was not a complaint, but something he liked. She let her hands wander up his arms and over his shoulders to his chest. "Always the charmer." She sighed exaggeratedly. "And I didn´t gain weight, I gained muscle!" He chuckled. "I see." He eyed her up again critically. "What the hell happened to your hair ?" She rolled her eyes. Every answer would have been superfluous – she had obviously got it cut, and not even that radically as she had originally intended too. Close cropped hair was definitely an advantage with a job like hers – no chance to grab her by the hair in a fight and not much time needed to dress it. She had intended to get them cut off to some few millimetres. When she had left, hair shorter but still long enough to curl and fall down to her neck, she realized that she actually hadn´t dared – knowing that he would hate it.

It had left her astounded as she had never thought she´d act as girlish as that – because of a guy! "What if I would have let them cut it off the military way ?" she asked. He shrugged massive shoulders. "Punishment", he commented. "Oh!" She nodded, feigning surprise. His hand trailed down from her hips to her bent lower leg. "The same thing goes for _this_, by the way."

His fingers covered her latest tattoo. She had known that he wouldn´t like it. "You´re just jealous", she told him, teasing again. His healing ability prevented every try to mark his skin permanently in any way. "Show me", he demanded. He had felt it, but not seen it so far, as his attention had been completely drawn to other things before. "No!" she smiled. He cocked his head, stretching muscles. She hesitated.

It was fun. She had known that he wouldn´t like it. He had bitten her there a while ago, and as she had made the mistake to struggle against him in that moment, his fangs had left a hideous wound and scar. She knew that he would suspect her to have gotten this one tattooed similar to the originally mark as she had done with the four scars he had left on her shoulder back then. He tightened the grip around her leg. "Sure you won´t show me?" he asked.

She squealed when he pulled, causing her to land on her back quite quickly. He watched the tattoo for a moment. Then he sniffed. To his relief, she had decided for some elegantly drawn tribal tattoo, though in the same bloody shades of red and black she had chosen for the first tattoo. "I hate that." She grinned, struggling back into her former position. "I originally intended to get one of your bites on the back of my neck tattooed." It was a lie. She just liked to see his disapproving glance. He grabbed her neck and forced her face down to his. "Do so and I´m gonna tattoo my initials straight across your face." She smiled politely. "Strange – I thought this is still _my_ body." "Thought wrong", he commented. He kissed her possessively. "Is that your punishment ?" she challenged. "What did you have in mind ?" She chuckled, placing soft kisses down the side of his neck, pressing her body against him. "Oh, this and that", she muttered ambiguously. "Debauched broad!" She chuckled. "Your fault", she shot back. He grinned. "I think I did quite a good piece of work on you. Though I really liked to see you blush every time I got you naked back then." She growled and brought herself back into an upright sitting position. He only chuckled. Just like she did right now.

She smiled at him, a trace of that former shyness in it. She still was somehow touchy about that. Then her expression got more serious as she watched him. He looked like he always did. Every injury would heal within seconds. Only many and severe injuries caused at once would take some time, but not nearly as long as it would normal people to heal. Still, she worried about him. "You´re alright ?" she asked. She half expected him to give her a sarcastic or impatient answer. In fact, he watched her for a moment, grey eyes staring into her own. He simply nodded, forcing her again down to him and in a tight embrace, up to tonight`s second round.

He knew she wouldn´t ask further questions about the last five weeks. She knew he would never tell her of his own accord. It was like things worked between them. It might have seemed strange to others. None of the two of them cared.


	3. Man on a mission

Covered in sweat, she moaned when he moved deeper into her. He enjoyed this, silently watching her in the darkness of the bedroom, as the cat´s eyes allowed him to. The tension of her body. Her lightly padded curves. Small soft hands on his chest. Her body aching for this.

He thrust deeper, making her grit her teeth with a vague sound of lust. For a girl like her, incapable of feeling any soft impulse of ache or touch, pain and lust went hand in hand.

He knew it would need some effort to make her let go. To accept free fall. He also knew he could take her there. He admittedly hadn´t been able to when they had first met. But in fact, at that time, he hadn´t even tried something like this for decades.

Their first gathering had been for the relief. Urgent. Hard and fast. Dampening the instincts. The second one had been more enjoyable for the less animalistic parts of him – and clearly more enjoyable for her. Still, she had been too strained to cave in to her needs.

That problem could be taken care of. It would take some strain to keep control – but he himself sufficiently satisfied for the moment, he liked the challenge.

He had met women before who had matched his sexual needs up to some point. Well, even those girls wouldn´t have matched his rather bestial tendencies willingly. But there _had_ been girls who hadn't been that niggling as the rest, human ones as well as mutants. Unfortunately, none of them had had Sethra´s nice advantage of reduced pain perception. It might be of some disadvantage for her, too – but regarding this special matter, he didn´t pity her.

Besides that, she would submit to him. Clearly not out of the old fashioned view that she had to. Especially not regarding the fact that she had somewhere down the road started to tease him the same way he teased her in bed. But if things got serious, she would let him take the lead and he didn´t care why.

The animal liked the thought that these were the only two reasons why he had stayed that long with her. The wretched human part knew better – another reason to try and negate it, though he knew that it was useless.

She had already lost any awareness of her surroundings. He watched her adjusting to his rhythm, opening her eyes. Even his eyes didn´t allow him to see the lust in them, but her nails digging into his skin told him quite clearly instead. He growled, himself only half aware of it. She had to stop thinking – the rest would happen automatically then. Forcing her down for a kiss would mean to loosen his grip – no option. He grabbed her around the waist and forced her down on her back instead, kissing her roughly then before entering her again.

She bit his lip. The unexpected attack, carried out with her blunt human teeth, made him flinch and, as he realized, stunned. After a second, he grinned. Though she had never done this before, he reckoned that he was on the right way. Still, this called for retribution. He seized her jaw, chuckling darkly when he felt the rising tautness of hers. Next day was a Saturday. She wouldn´t have to go to work ´til Monday. Not that he would have cared too much about it otherwise. He bit back, drawing blood. She gasped, but he didn´t grant her a chance to complain, forcing her down violently to accomplish this nice little mission.

The swollen lip would make her stay at home for the rest of the weekend – another thought he really liked.


	4. Changes

**Not one of the most exciting chapters, but necessary - and there´s at least some excitement coming up at chapter 5 as I hope, so go ahead! ;-)  
**

* * *

When he arrived some days later in the evening, she wasn´t at home, though the pick up was parked at the driveway.

Snatching a beer from the fridge, he went on a tour around the house, as he still hadn´t checked it out completely since he was back.

She had brought him here the same day she had first visited it with some woman from the agency that rented it out. She had been just enthusiastic about it. He could have told at once that she had made a good choice. She had protested when he had opened the backdoor for them, as he was curious. But he was able to do it without any damage – _that_ particular fact always surprised people - and, though still feeling guilty, she had finally followed him inside.

A small house at the end of a street in the calm and neat suburbs of the city where she was supposed to work now. A little front garden, a larger one behind the house. The house itself with huge windows, bright rooms, and, even without any furniture around, a warm atmosphere, an air that homely that he had liked it immediately. Realistically considered, it was too large for a single person. But – though he usually avoided the thought – realistically considered again, they were twosome. Somehow, he preferred to think about the whole fuckin´ thing as an affair of possessions.

Well, this had been weeks ago. There had some renovation be done and she had bought most of the needed furniture by now. She hadn´t brought much stuff from her old apartment, as she hadn´t wanted that. Everything looked still unfinished, but one could already see the style she had chosen. Obviously, she liked things cozy and not too modern. She had chosen one of the two bigger rooms upstairs as a bedroom, a second one as study. He grinned at the thought of the huge bed she had ordered. People would think that she had really overdone with that playground – especially as she was officially single.

When he entered the third room, he only stood, stunned.

This room seemed to be the only one that was finished and cleaned up. There were bookshelves and an old-fashioned desk near the window, made of some dark polished wood – clearly antique. A fitting old fashioned chair, its outlines elegantly curved. On the other side, some old fashioned sofa and armchair, completed by a low side table and a fitting floor lamp. She had chosen a neutral warm cream coloured tone for the walls. Some packages leant against the side of the sofa – he guessed of fitting old fashioned pictures. There was an abandoned tea cup on the sidetable. A cream coloured vest, lying crumpled on the couch. A book she had been reading in, opened and face down on the table.

The old fashioned furniture made him feel like he had travelled back in time. The scent of some furniture polish and fresh wall paint still filled the air. But the forgotten things of hers and the coziness of the room made him shiver nevertheless. Only the laptop on the desk looked somehow out of place. He stood there for minutes, chasing a feeling he couldn´t classify. To himself, it was surprise enough that he could clearly and easily decide if something felt cozy or not. The places he had spend most of his life on had been far away from cozy, most of the time far away from habitable. He wasn´t sure if he would have been able to put a finger to the things that created that atmosphere of home. But he had figured that he could enjoy it if he discovered it somewhere.

Still feeling thoughtful – and hating himself for it – he moved downstairs, intending to have a shower. The bathrooms in this house would allow them to have a shower together, he guessed. Remembering the small house of her brother further north in the middle of nowhere, where every try for this had ended with for once unwanted bruises, this would work easier. Still, he also remembered a lot of good entertainment from that.

When he left the bathroom, she was back. He heard a car´s door slam, than she let herself in. She left her sportsbag, shoes and jacket besides the door and crossed the hallway, stopping in front of him. "Hey", she whispered, getting on her tiptoes for a kiss. He let her wait, finally chuckling when she weakly slapped his chest. "Don´t let me stand her like an idiot and kiss me, freak!" He growled lowly, the chuckled. Taking a step forward, he forced her to draw back, her back hitting the wall behind her. "Are we jaunty tonight ?" he asked, his light tone a mixture of mockery and menace. She looked up to him, her eyes wide, her face all innocent.

Still, they way she bit her lower lip an instance later gave her away. She couldn´t suppress a very unladylike grin. "Something funny ?" he asked, drawing closer. "Oh stop it", she whispered contentedly, resting her palms and forearms against his slightly damp chest. "You´re still number one on my ´favourites to stare me down and scare me to death´- list." She chuckled. "As usual." "Who brought you home ?" he asked, already smelling the answer. "Cameron." She sighed. "The car is finally done, I think." "And now", she stated after a paise"as you´re obviously more interested in questioning me than in kissing me, I´ll need a drink. I didn´t rent the damn whole house to spend my evenings in the hallway." "I think you´ll spend the evenings right where I want you to", he told her. She sighed. The guy was such an unbelievable arrogant bastard – even if only dressed in nothing more than a towel.

* * *

Some time later, he watched her silently preparing dinner.

She had changed. There was no doubt.

She had given him the though girl all the time since they had met. But he had often suspected her to only pretend – and he had often been right about that, back then. There had been a too big gap between the calm contented acting woman he liked having around and the squealing cub fighting against the unfairness of life.

Obviously, the latest changes in her life had done her good.

She obviously liked the new job, though she had to get used to a lot of new stuff and was often quite exhausted in the evenings. She liked the challenge.

She now went regularly to training, with Cameron when he was available, or with some of the new colleagues she mostly liked. He didn´t need to fight her to realize that her reflexes had gotten faster now, her movements smoother. It was obviously good for her. But he hated the thought that all these guys at rehab there would get in touch with her. Leaving marks on her he didn´t want to see there. Not on the girl he´d claimed for himself.

She had gained weight and muscle. He had never liked the frails _that_ frail that a sharp look seemed to be enough to tear them apart. Back on track, she looked kind of solid. For him, this was more attractive than perfectly manicured nails and high heels. It might be some kind of primary instinct thing – but he felt better if the frail around him didn't look like she would die of starvation every movement, though a lot of people seemed to think different about that nowadays. Besides that, she sometimes showed a remarkable amount of strength – most of the time in situations he had never expected her to. Well, remarkable for a little thing like her.

Another quite agreeable fact was that she was more even-tempered now. They would never stop quarrelling, but instead of freaking out too quickly, she now often tried to beat him with his own weapons, revealing a kind of biting sarcasm he hadn´t experienced with her before. Sometimes the little daredevil provoked him that mischievously that he´d have liked to beat that impertinence out of her. Showing him clearly that she might never be able to catch up with him physically didn´t mean that she wasn´t able to beat him with the mouth.

"Something´s off ?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts. She took a swig of beer out of a fresh bottle and placed it in front of him, then. "No. Why do you ask ?" She shrugged, rounding his chair and placing a kiss at the back of his neck before moving on to one of the cupboards behind him. "Don´t haven´t even insulted me a single time tonight." "Bitch." She rolled her eyes, smiling. "Thanks. I feel better right now." He chuckled. "Then enjoy. Won´t last long." She took seat on the other side of the table. "You´ll be around tomorrow evening ?" she asked. "I´ll be busy. Could get late." She nodded. „I´d like to go for a drink with some colleagues. You could pick me up afterwards? The bar´s just some blocks away from here." He nodded, quietly amused how diplomatically she planned the rest of her private life around his visits. "Shouldn´t be a problem."


	5. The message

**Here we go - introducing another lovely girl on stage for the first time - just welcome Blaze!**

* * *

„And you´re sure you don´t want me to accompany you ?" She threw her colleague a wry look. "Forgot about my job, Barry ? I don´t need to be accompanied, darling." She realized in surprise that she already sounded as overconfident as Victor – with the small difference that he had all reasons to sound like that. "Good night, guys!" She waved her hand to them and left.

He was already waiting for her. A menacingly huge frame, half hidden in the shadows. She knew that she would never have noticed him there if he hadn´t wanted her to do. "Had fun ?" he asked in a tone that expressed clearly that he hoped for the contratry. "Yeah." She put a hand on his forearm. "And now I´d like to go home and have some fun _there_, if you don´t mind."

They were halfway down the narrow street the bar was located at when he grabbed her forearm, forcing her violently to step back behind him. "What…" A slim figure stepped out of the shadows between two houses. "No need to get edgy, Creed", an amused female voice told. "It´s just me." He didn´t answer, only watched her drawing closer, hips swinging.

"A little bit late for little girls to bang around on the streets", he finally stated. She only shrugged, grinning. Sehtra couldn´t see her clearly, half her sight blocked by Victor´s body and the dim light in addition, but there was a mass of fiery red curls and she could tell that the other one was tall. "I had to look around for a while for you. Got a message from a mutual friends of ours." "I´d prefer to talk about that in private", he stated. Sethra raised her eyebrows – so did the other girl. "She´s not reliable ?" Then she gave Victor a puzzled look. "Is she _human_ ?" she asked in disbelief. She put her hands on her hips in an astonished gesture. "Are you fuckin´ _kiddin´_ me ?" He growled, only causing another smirk. "Ah, the message." She smiled. "_She _wants you for a job. Needs a bodyguard for a night." "Thought she already had one." "Ah, you know how things are at the moment. She´s a little bit touchy about big bro´ showing up in public. Wants you instead to accompany her. Think she wants to pile it on this time. You´ll be available ?" He nodded. "Yeah." "Fine. I´ll tell her." "Do that."

Blaze crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So what about the girl there ?" she asked. "Is she deaf or dumb or something ?" He felt Sethra move behind him, putting a huge hand on her belly to keep her there. "If you were clever, darling, you would have already run when this conversation started. Would have been more fun for him to chase you down afterwards."

"You´re always that charming ?" Sethra asked. Victor mentally cursed her for her big mouth. "You´re always hiding behind big daddy´s muscles ?" the redhead shot back. She stared for a moment into Victor´s grey eyes. Sethra realized with sudden discomfort that the girl´s eyes gleamed with a blazing glimmer. "Does _she_ set you on fire, Creed ?" she whispered suggestively. The feral was obviously not impressed. "Your brother really failed with your upbringing, kid." "Look who´s talking!" she spat. The shimmer in her eyes disappeared. She shrugged coolly. "Think about it, Creed. I can wait." She turned and disappeared out of their sight.

Sethra was clever enough to remain silent after that. Victor clenched one fist. Plaster trickled from the wall besides them where he hit it.

They went home, undisturbed for the rest of the short walk.

She didn´t ask questions, not during their walk, not later on when they went to bed. But she had to admit that she was bursting with curiosity about that latest meeting with a friend of his.


	6. The mirror

The doorbell rang. Sethra cursed. She had just burned her fingers trying to empty the pot with the potatoes into the sink. She wondered who in the world would come to visit. She hurried to dry her hands from the cold water she had let run over them and went for the door.

"Martin!" She opened the door widely and gestured to her colleague to enter. "Hi." The other one smiled. "I hope I don´t disturb you." She smiled. "You don´t." He handed her a small sports bag. "You forgot your equipment. I picked it up – you know, otherwise it´ll be gone tomorrow." She nodded. "Thank you. I didn´t even notive that I forgot it." The bag contained various body protectors she used for training. As none of the guys at work would have been able to use them as she used the smallest available size, they wouldn´t have got stolen probably. Besides, he could just have put the stuff into his own locker and give it to her the next day. So there was obviously another reason for this visit.

As Martin was not one of her favourite colleagues – in fact, too much the patronizing type – that made her feel a little uncomfortable. "Want a drink ?" she asked, gesturing towards the living room. He nodded. "Yeah." "A beer ?" she asked. Another nod. "Take a seat", she told him. "I´ll be right back."

She could have asked him to come and sit at the kitchen. It was something that felt more comfortable and homely for her, though there was quite a mess again. But Martin was not that kind of close friend one would invite there anyway. And she didn´t intend to invite him to stay for dinner. The meat in the oven would be ready soon - Victor was likely to arrive every minute.

He sat on the couch when she returned to him. She handed him the bottle, sitting down on the opposite site of the table in a chair. She noticed that he looked surprised at her own bottle. Were woman only allowed to drink orange juice or champagne ? "You made your place quite homely", he mentioned. She smiled. "Thanks. There´s still a lot of stuff missing or incomplete, but I am working on that." "Quite spacious." She gave him a questioning look. That was quite a suspicious comment.

She shrugged, pretending offhandedness. "I like it that way and it´s my first own flat. And the owner doesn´t take too much rent for it." "So you settled in here ?" Sethra looked at her colleague. A stout looking guy with short blond hair mixed with first grey and watery blue eyes, too narrow for her taste, by the way. He was a specialist for firearms and addicted to all athletic stuff. Besides, he was in his late forties. „Yeah, quite. Though I find it a little bit hard to find a bar or club where they play my favourite music." She gave him another smile. „You should come with us to Nicholson´s. I think you´d like it there!" She knew that some of the guys from work went there regularly on Fridays. As she also knew which guys, she was not that keen on accompanying him there. "I got yoga classes on Friday", she answered. It wasn´t even a lie. "You could still join us after that", he suggested.

He gestured to one of the pictures on a shelf. "Your brother ?" She nodded. "Yeah." "Air Force, huh ?" She nodded. An unnecessary question - it was quite obvious if one looked at the uniform he was wearing. There was another picture besides the one he had asked about, showing David and her half drunken at her 25th birthday. They had been to Vegas back then, and both wearing cowboy style shirts and hats. "You look quite similar." _We are half sibs, idiot, and we don´t look alike! _The conversation started to annoy her. She felt like he intruded a privacy she wasn´t willing to share with him of all people. So she didn´t comment.

He cleared his throat. "To be honest", he started, "I came to visit as I wanted to talk to you in private. May I ask you something ?" She smiled, still pretending to feel relaxed. "If you don´t insist on an answer, go ahead." He didn´t seem to know exactly how to formulate his question. "The guys say you´re single." She raised an eyebrow. Boding ill, she didn´t fear that he would ask her for a date, but worse. She nodded slowly. "I am." He wetted his lips before he continued. "See, I just…when we got that workout last week…." She cursed herself. This was her own fault. She had spilled half a bottle of coke over her shirt by accident on that day, and as she had already changed two other times that day, she had been running out of short sleeved shirts. So she had changed into a tank top instead. She could think of what he was going to tell her next.

"I mean…", he spluttered. "I mean you looked quite…" She suppressed the urge to grimace. _Say ´hot` and I´m gonna knock out your teeth._ "You looked beaten up", he finally said. She gave him an amused look. "Martin, I am a combat trainer. And look at our current patients. These guys are almost healed up, they´re impatient, aggressive and fuckin´ hard to keep in check." The expression on his face told her that he didn´t buy that. He wasn't talking about the bruises. She knew that, but wasn´t going to mention anything else of her own accord.

"Somebody abuses you." That came surprisingly clear and quickly. She almost choked on her last sip of beer. "Excuse me ?" "A blind man could see." She placed her bottle cautiously on the small table in front of her. "Martin, do I look like the typical victim of abuse ?" She privately liked to ask that question exactly that way – as she definitely _had_ looked like one that day, as a consequence of a little quarrel with Victor the night before. He gestured soothingly. "Don´t get me wrong! I am just worried. I wondered if you…might need help." _Holy gods. _He _was_ patronizing her. She felt the old daemons waken inside her. And decided to go straight ahead.

"You know of my reduced sensitivity for pain, do you ?" He nodded. "Then you may understand that I am not quite keen on soft cuddling." He actually blushed. It made her mentally roll her eyes. "It´s nice that you worry, but there´s no need." "Are you sure ?" he asked meekly. She nodded. "Yeah. Damn sure." His gaze slipped from her face down to her neck and shoulders. The spots were covered now by her shirt, but he knew what he had seen. _What about the scars ? _She made a mental note to store some more shirts in her locker for the future. "If it is this guy from the Air Force….", he started. That was simply too much. She laughed out – loud and honestly.

The guy suspected Cameron. This was delicious. She remembered that she and Cameron had met him after one of their private workouts. The trainers were allowed to use the rehab´s gym and training area in the evenings for their own workout. She had met Cam there as it was quite convenient for them. "Really, Martin, Cameron is quite a close friend. He would never ever do any harm to me". _Workout sessions excepted. _He started to say something else but she interrupted him sharply. "And I don´t want you to get me wrong, either, but the rest of that is my own business." Conveniently, the oven´s timer rang. He almost flinched. "Alright then." He got up. "Thanks for the beer." She shrugged. "No problem. Thanks for getting me my stuff." He went towards the door, but stopped there for a moment. "Really, I meant no offense." She nodded. "No problem. You worried and I appreciate that." _And may God forgive me for my lies. _

She closed the door after him and rubbed her face with one hand, sighing. Then she hurried to the kitchen.

She almost bumped into _him_. "Holy gods, Victor!" She slipped past him and managed to take the casserole out of the oven without further incinerations, her face flushing from the heat of the oven and the steam. "Who was that ?" he asked harshly. "A colleague. Martin Creston." "And what did he want ?" She turned to him and watched him for a moment. He already sounded just a bit _too_ angry. "Don´t tell me you were not listening in on us." He grabbed her rudely by the neck and forced her against the counter. Lowering his head, he bit the side of her neck that fiercely that she had to grit her teeth to suppress a cry. She tensed and felt his grip immediately catch up with that, but she was clever enough not to struggle. When he retracted his canines from her skin, she sniffed angrily. "Are you crazy ?" she asked, raising her hand to check out the damage. He slapped it away with his own. "Stay away", he commanded, only to bend forward again to lick the wound. She flinched though she wouldn´t feel that. Then he released her and turned to the fridge for a beer.

"What the hell ´s the point of that ?" she hissed angrily. "The guy wants to worry – I´ll give him a reason." "O this is ridiculous!" Absently, she raised her hand again to touch the bite, but stopped when he threw her a dark look. She let her hand drop. "And why _did_ he want to come here to protect little sweetheart ?" he asked, sitting down on one of the chairs. "My fault. I wore a tanktop last week for training."

She grabbed two plates out of a cupboard, filling them and placing one in front of him and one on the opposite side of the table. "And that´s all ?" She rolled her eyes while putting the meat on a platter. She brought it to the table and sat down herself. "No, I also stripped for him afterwards." The fact that he didn´t react at all to that sarcastic answer was worse than every other reaction. "Jesus, Victor, what do you think ?! That I _flirted_ with_ that_ guy or something ?"

He growled. So low and dark that she knew this was serious. She figured that he didn´t care if there had been a real reason to be jealous or not. The mere fact of the visit was enough for him to make her pay. As a precaution. "I can´t avoid letting people see my body, man! I work with it!" "The question´s how." She dropped her fork and knife. "You´re really a bastard! You _encouraged_ me to take the job!" Though it had been her job before they had met, anyway. "I said you should follow your instincts regarding that. I didn´t mean the baser ones."

He took the first piece of meat. And failed to suppress grimacing. She sat back, still enraged. But the expression on his face, obviously caused by her minor cooking knowledge, had been priceless. She couldn´t other but grin. "Serves you right!" she said. She took a bit herself – completely oversalted. She choked. "One day you´ll succeed in killing me", he snarled. She bent forward to him. "I think a lot of people would get really annoyed to find out that it would have only needed a failed dinner to do the job." She entertained the thought of skipping the yoga classes and take some lessons in cooking instead – not for the first time. She slowly reached an age at which a woman should at least be able to cook a basic dinner – soldier or not.

"So do you work regularly with that guy ?" he asked. She eyed the potatoes critically, then grabbed the phone. "Pizza or chinese ?" she asked him. He sat back. "Chinese. The usual." She nodded and ordered a replacement for dinner for them. "Martin had asked for a workout. It was the first time we shared one." "He _asked_ you ?" She sighed. "He asked my boss. My schedule wasn´t as packed as the other guy´s. It was coincidence that he landed with me." "Or your boss thought the other guys would wreck him at once." "Stow it, will you! Just forget about it!" "So he looked at you, then asked around about you and came here to snoop tonight." "What´s that crap about ? Do you develop a persecution complex or something ?" "I can think of his reasons to worry about you quite clearly!" "Come on. Not every guy out there wants to bed me. And besides that, I wouldn´t take every guy home who wants to bed me!" "Not _every guy_?" She realized that mistake in formulation too late. He got up. "Sit down, man, and stop that!" She stopped in her tracks while watching him pacing around the table. "Come off!" she gasped. "You know where this leads." She tried to sound soothing. "Tell me", he demanded. Boding ill, she drew back. "We quarrel, we start shouting, _somebody _will freak out", she stated lowly. "We should really know better by now." "_You _should", he hissed. "Blockhead", she muttered.

He had reached her finally, pinning her between the counter behind her and himself. "Are you accusing me of flirting with a guy I don´t even like ? _You _? The guy mysterious girls whisper gamy comments to on dark alleys ?" She flinched when he battered the cupboard´s door right beside her head, his bleeding knuckles healing right away. "None of your business!" he barked. "Yeah, quite a surprise! You know that I would never dare to meet somebody else", she stated. "Doesn´t mean that you don´t _want_ to", he shot back. She stared at him, nonplussed. _That_ exact accusation was new. "Stop this shit _now_!" she hissed.

She flinched again when the backdoor slammed. Then sighed in frustration, still stunned. "Three cheers to conflict resolution", she muttered, examining the damage.

He returned later that night. She had tried to prepare for whatever he´d have in mind, but he only slipped under the covers, grabbing her to bring her body closer to his. She was surprised but liked the idea that at least for once, he was not going to blame her for everything again.

* * *

When he arrived at the house the next evening, she was out. There was no note where she had gone. And he was sure that she hadn´t mentioned anything. It was already late. He waited for a while, then lost patience and called her. Her mobile was switched off. He considered things for a moment, eying at the damaged cupboard. He finally shrugged. Better that thing than her face. He was sure she would share his opinion regarding that, for once.

When she finally arrived, she went upstairs and for a shower. She had seen the dimmed light falling out of her study, but ignored it. She was still angry. Should he wait.

She ignored it again on her way to the bedroom. As to be expected, he finally followed her there. "Where have you been ?" "At the cinema." She was still wrapped in her towel and grabbed some underwear out of a drawer. He stepped behind her and locked her in an embrace. He could tell that she didn´t like it.

"Something´s wrong ?" he asked. She stiffened. "Indeed." She touched his forearm with one hand. "Let me go. I feel cold." "I could warm you", he offered. She breathed heavily. "I don´t want you to." Surprisingly enough, he released her. She slipped into her underwear and some overlarge checked nightdress. "Martin Creston got beaten up two nights ago." She looked him in the eyes. "Mugged, they say." "Really ?" he asked, indifferent. She stared at him. "_You_ did that!" she accused. "And what for ? For nothing !There was no fuckin´ reason!" He only stood there, silent. "Won´t you even try to deny it ?" she spat. "What kind of sick testosterone thing is this again ?And don´t give me the animal crap again!" She noticed the change of expression on his face from neutral into a grim frown. She raised one hand in a defensive gesture and took two steps forward, but it was already too late.

He pushed her back – the impact made her crash backwards against the man high wall mirror behind her. She knocked her head hard against the mirror and wall behind it and sagged down to all fours, feeling sick for a moment. Before she could fully realize it, she got lifted and pinned against the cracked mirror again, his hand around her throat. "You have _no_ idea!" he hissed between gritted teeth. She gasped. "Let me breathe!" she begged.

He released her. She had to grab hold of the edge of the dresser next to her, watching him leave the room, obviously heading for the stairs.

"Don´t dare and run, you bastard!"

Turning, she closed her eyes for a moment and reached shakily out for the back of her head. She flinched when she opened her eyes again and caught sight of his reflection in the cracked mirror.

She hadn´t expected her words to work. Well, they obviously did. But as it was the first time, she had no idea what to do now. He only stood, scowling. It was impossible to read in the expression on his face.

Sighing, she cautiously tapped at the mirror´s broken surface with a single finger – causing a mass of fragments to come off.

As she wasn´t able to watch him in the mirror, she turned. He had moved forward. His body filled the doorframe. Still, he didn´t look that menacing in that moment. She needed a second to realize. One shoulder leant against the doorframe, taking a deep breath, he just looked… _tired_. Perhaps of quarrelling, she mused. Or of running.

"Will we ever be able to do without that ?" she asked.

"Some day, I´m gonna kill you." Well, that was a kind of bloody proposal of peace. She sighed. As everything around him seemed somehow connected to ruin and misery. "Well", she answered. "That´s really a relief!"


	7. The game

_Haven't we met  
You're some kind of beautiful stranger  
You could be good for me  
I have a taste for danger  
If I'm smart then I'll run away  
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay  
Heaven forbid  
I take my chance on a beautiful stranger_

**Madonna - Beautiful stranger**

*** * ***

**I unfortunately still feel that I just suck at formulating the hot stuff - definitely not enough experience in expressing something like that the right way in a foreign language so far ;-) Nevertheless, don´t give up on me - I´m practising heavily right now! ;-)**

**This update took a while as the plot gave me some trouble for a while, but I can finally promise Wolverine´s first appearance for the next one !  
**

**Reviews are always welcome !  
**

*** * ***

"Got hurt ?" he asked. She shook her head. He eyed her up critically. Then again. Tugging at the hem of that weird pyjama, he growled. The colours and squares were just a nightmare.

„What the hell is that ?" She crossed her arms in front of her, defensively. "This is what I wear at nights I don´t expect to be manhandled."

He reached out for her, carefully examining her head. Contended that he couldn't find any traces of an injury this time, he pulled her closer. "You´re wearing the wrong dress then, girl." She shook her head. "Oh no. I don´t!" She knew the contradiction was useless – it had never worked so far.

To her surprise, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the door and over to the study. "What the…" He half turned when he she tried to stop halfway down the hall. "What ?" he barked. "What are you up to ?" she asked, sounding uncomfortable. He chuckled. The tips of fangs flashed. "To strip you of that ridiculous piece of cloth and _manhandle _you right over that desk over there", came the stunningly honest answer. "If you must know", he added politely, watching her blush.

"No!" The answer came quickly and resolutely. "Excuse me ?" "I said no!" She tried to free her wrist from his grip. He refused to let go, watching her. "What is it ?" he asked, again slightly annoyed. "That´s my father´s and grandfather´s study, Victor! I just… I can´t have sex there!" She sighed, watching him scowl. "I don´t _want_ to have sex there." For an instance, there was only honest surprise in his eyes. "Why not ?" he asked bluntly. She bit her lip, considering how she could ever explain this to him. "I don´t know. It has something to do with them… with the respect for them. It just…" She gave up, shrugging. "It just doesn´t fit! It´s like having sex in the bed I´ve slept in as a girl!"

She watched the expression on his face change again – then caught up with it. She suddenly struggled to get free. "Don´t even think about it!" she hissed.

She struggled heavily now. Not that there was any sense in that. He only wrapped one arm around her waist and carried her to the door opposites the study, shoving it open and her in, slamming it shut behind them. "This is not funny!" she hissed. He finally released her and she stumbled, almost carried off her feet by her own momentum. "Oh yes, it is!" he contradicted. Blocking the door with this body, he slowly started to unbutton his shirt. "At which age did you lose your maidenhood ?" he asked. She stared at him. "What ?!" He sighed, throwing her an impatient look. "Which age, Seth. Do I have to make you tell me ?" She glanced around for a moment. She had finally decided to store the furniture left from the room she had lived in at her parent´s house at the spare room upstairs. The stuff wasn´t pink and girlish, but still the stuff she had lived with as a teenager. She had mused that it would do as a guestroom´s furniture as well. Well, she hadn´t considered _this_.

She bit her lip. "Nineteen", she finally answered. He had finished unbuttoning his shirt and took it off, throwing it over a nearby chair. "I suppose that´s old even for a girl of your generation, no ?" She ignored the statement. "I am not having sex with you in this bed", she insisted. He pulled the black wifebeater over his head. "Oh yes. You´ll do." Anticipation rang through his voice. "Bastard", she told him. He drew slowly closer. As he had already had a shower during the time he´d been waiting for her, he was barefoot. There was nothing left but his jeans and underwear. "_Late_, Sethra ?" She couldn´t other than watch him, almost creeping closer. "Yeah", she whispered nervously. "Maybe. I don´t know." He noticed that that answer didn´t make any sense. "Who did it ?" he asked, popping the button of his jeans open. "That wimp ?" He referred to her ex friend Matthew which he had scared away only by his mere appearance the one and only time they had met. She shook her head, for some reason unable to speak. "Another loser ?" he asked. "Craig", she finally whispered. "His name was Craig." He reached out for her and forced her softly closer to him. His hands rested on her shoulders for a moment, his thumbs carefully massaging her muscles through the fabric of her nightdress. "So what kind of guy ?" he asked. "Another loser ?"

Sethra had no idea why she suddenly felt as clumsy and shy as she did. She had been with this man for months by now. The room around didn´t even look too similar to her former bedroom. Still, for the first time in months, she felt quite girlish – and scared. He lowered his head and licked her neck. It sent the expected shiver done her spine. She had no idea what kind of guy would go for a loser or not. "A soldier", she finally muttered. He had been 24 back then. Actually, a friend of David. Her father and brother soldiers, a soldier as a boyfriend had somehow seemed to fit in. His hands moved down her shoulders, one further down to her waist, slipping under the top of the loose gown, the other one gently caressing one of her breasts. "So it could have been me." She felt her mouth went dry. "You´ve still been in the Army back then ?" she asked hoarsely. He nodded, his mouth again occupied placing soft kisses down the side of her neck. "You would have scared me to death", she whispered, immediately regretting _that_ comment. He stopped, but only chuckled darkly, lifting his head to tower over her again. "Did you feel him ?" he asked. She felt herself blush at that question. Nevertheless, she looked him in the eyes answering it. "No." "So perhaps I wouldn´t have scared you to death", he mused. She stared at him for a moment. "There ´s an error in your reasoning", she muttered. He only raised one eyebrow. "I didn´t even know that I wouldn´t feel him", she whispered. She caught up with his thoughts without him telling her. Regarding the reduced sensitivity for touches and pain, it had been to be expected. Still… "That´s the thrill of being a virgin, isn´t it ?" she whispered. "Not _really_ knowing what to expect."

He bent down to her face for a deep kiss. She felt her body respond to that quickly. Heat got up from her lower body, spreading through her limbs. She let one hand rest on the bare skin of his chest, the other one touching his cheek as if trying to prevent him from stopping. „Poor girl", he whispered. "Not knowing what to expect and not getting to know it even afterwards." "You scare me like hell right now, you know", she admitted. He chuckled again. "Good", he whispered, pressing her a little harder against him, making her feel his erection. "Then get over there and lose your maidenhood again", he offered. Again, she caught up with his thoughts. "And you´re going to make me feel it this time." A nod. A chuckle. "I promise", he whispered.

*** * ***

She felt still uncomfortable about playing that kind of game. Though she had to admit, even after having been laid by him so many times, the thought of it gave her a thrill. "I already told you that I think I wouldn´t have liked it." "Liked what ?" He suppressed a grin, only more aroused by that sweet shyness of hers. She didn´t even want to name things. She had been likely ashamed when they had touched that topic months ago. "I already told you that you might have been surprised." He snarled impatiently. "You never manage to stop that blockhead of yours thinking", he complained. "This time, I even ask you to use it." "Fine", she muttered, giving in. "Fine", he whispered, confirming.

She let him direct her back to the bed. "I think it´s too small", she muttered when he made her lay back, getting over her, carefully avoiding to burry her under too much of his weight. He silenced her with a kiss. "No talking", he commanded. It sent another shiver down her spine under her clothes. He really scared her tonight.

She had endured a lot with him trough the last few months. She had surely been fucked by him in ways she hadn't been ever before – a fact he was proud of. He had left marks, fading ones and permanent ones. Still, the thought of her, untouched again, was just delicious.

For a second, he realized that this challenged the man – not the animal. He shoved the thought rudely aside – no time for sentimental crap like this right now.

They shared another deep and – for this time – gentle kiss. Suppressing the urge to bite her wasn´t as hard as expected – so far. He let his hands wander over her body, roughly enough to let her feel it, gently enough to keep it a soft touch for her. It gave him the time to think about ways to get her out of that awful dress gently. He finally decided that he didn´t care about the ways other people – not equipped with the same useful gifts of his mutation – took care of that. That gown had to be disposed of anyway. So he cut through it carefully, avoiding to scratch her skin underneath – but shredding the cloth efficiently. She suppressed a smile at the sight of it. She would definitely have been scared by a guy ripping down her clothes – gently or not. Her body exposed like that made her still feel ashamed and somehow uncomfortable – it had been like this from the start, getting only worse. He freed her from the pyjama, and with only her painties left, he followed the same ways with his hands he had roamed over her body the first time. This time, followed by his mouth. He knew she was more than ready, but this time, he´d make her wait. Torture her a little. Her body arched under his exploration, her hands sliding over his arms, back and shoulders. Regarding that, she didn´t act like a virgin. Not even like she had acted the real first time they had done this. She had hardly dared to touch him back then. Their eyes met for a moment, he looking up from her, his face at the level of her belly. Like caught in the act, she withdraw them. He only growled, appreciating.

Avoiding to scratch her, even accidentally, proofed to be harder than suppressing the biting. Still, he managed to tease her without bleeding – more or less – but not without sending goosebumps all over her body. When he finally returned to her for another kiss, she pressed against him. "Please", she whispered. He scratched her neck a little bit for that, just enough to cause an impulse of light pain. "Keep silent." She lent forward for another kiss – silently stunned that for the first time ever, he had asked her to keep silent – instead of the usual order to shut up. His mouth abandoned hers, his tongue leaving a trace of teasingly wet spots down the side of her neck. Softly sucking the tip of one of her breasts, he finally cut through her painties – causing her again to arch against him and touching him. He blocked her hands, slowly moving down her body.

She gave a sound between a moan and a gasp when he forced her legs apart, finally reaching that most sensitive region of hers. She reached out to stop him out of instinct. He trapped her hands with his own, causing her to squeal in frustration and shame. She would definitely have died out of shame as a nineteen year old girl if he would have done _that_ to her then. He steadied her body with one hand and forearm against her belly and waist, slowly continuing his work, taking his time, adamant against her pleading moans. "Stop!" she finally begged, not longer able to endure it.

He stopped. He sat back for a moment, observing her in the dark. He bent over her, one palm resting besides her, stroking softly over her lips and cheek with the fingers of his free hand. "Why are you always that defiant ?" he asked playfully. "Stop…seducing me", she pleaded. She had decided a second too late for replacing `torturing´ by seducing to do it unnoticed. Now he had noticed – and the whole plea sounded weird. "You´re lucky", he stated, forcing her body under his in a fluent single move, letting her feel his hardness between her thighs. She gasped. "There would have been neither torture nor punishment – as for the first time."

She moaned only softly when he entered her this time, carefully and slowly, fighting hard not to plunge into her as roughly as usual. He gritted his teeth – this would have been the difficult part. Barely noticeable at first, he invaded her deeper, speeding up slowly. She threw him a look from under half closed eyelids, then rocked against him with a sudden move. Her lips formed a this time silent but unmistakable plea. "Steady!" he whispered, but she didn´t care.

Another plea followed.

A plea too crude for a girl pretending to be back to her innocent teens. He kept it up for some further moments. Then he gave up as suddenly as she had thrown herself against him earlier. She cried out lowly, but then only wrapped her legs around him to bring his body closer to hers – and him deeper into her. She hissed for a moment, her face close to his chest. He had to realize that he was definitely not as controlled as he had thought. Her suddenly quite mature commitment forced him to surrender. They rushed together through his climax. When she finally relaxed against the mattress beneath her, she realized that she had clung to him that hard that her muscles trembled from the effort.

"How can you ever think I would be interested in any other guy ?" she whispered accusingly later on, already half asleep. He didn´t chuckle this time, but she could imagine his grin. "Shut up!" he only answered. Thankfully, she got the bad man back. The game was over.


	8. Kinship

_Please note :_

_This story is based on the characters shown in the X men movies 1 – 3 and `Origins´. Still, as this is my imagination unleashed, this story doesn´t go along with the storyline of the movies. I´ve chosen parts of them, but combined with my own ideas. Because of that, please note the following "background information" :_

_**Jean and Scott** have gone apart a while ago, Scott leaving the mansion after that. He´s still working with the professor and the other x-men and on friendly terms with Jean, but visits only occasionally._

_Jean knows about the Phoenix, but is working with the professor on keeping it under control – this also implicates that **Xavier** is still alive._

_**Logan** has parts of his memory back – but there´s still a lot missing._

_This is not the first time I tried to write about Wolverine, but the first time I tried on him and Jean. After concentrating that hard on his dark and delicious brother, I hope I haven´t failed that badly ;-) _

_* * *  
_

Morning dawned. Jean sighed, smiling at the man next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, softly, again and again. She guessed that he´d be able to do this for hours. "What ?" he asked. It sounded harsh, but she knew better. "You keep stealing my sleep", she teased, her voice calm and sounding slightly amused. He placed a soft kiss at the top of her head. The movement made her realize the hard muscles of his shoulders and chest again. "Sorry." That sounded quite serious and somehow absent-minded. She put her head back a little for a kiss. There were so many emotions in his dark eyes that it stunned her every time she looked deeply into them. She had just gone through a period during which she had been uncertain about almost everything around her. Her friends, her mind, her abilities, her decisions. She still hadn´t overcome that completely. But if she was sure about something, than about the fact that she had never met a man like him before. He might have lost his memory and with that a part of his identity. But still, she figured that there was more left than she´d ever be able to discover.

She lowered her mental shields for a moment after that, her mind cautiously reaching out for his. An instance later, she gasped, blushing. Their bodies that close together, skin touching, the intense of his thoughts had hit her unprepared. He tightened his embrace around her a little. "I am not sorry for that", he muttered, amused this time. She smiled in the dim light of the wakening morning. "But I am", she stated. "Hey." He cautiously forced her to look at him. "I have no right to snoop there", she apologized. "I told you that I don´t mind." A soft shiver ran down her spine. Actually, the exact wording had been that everything about him was hers – if she just wanted it. "Your mind is your business, Logan. Nobody should invade there!" He only grinned. "Oh, don´t hold back", he answered. "Just don´t try and hold me responsible for what you may find."

An hour later, she got up, regretful that she had to. Well, it was Friday – weekend ahead. And there were only seven days and a doubtful meeting with some other mutants left until the start of the summer holidays. Then they would both have the chance to spend more than some hours and the night on their own.

He watched her move from the bed, one arm behind his head for a better position. She felt his gaze and turned to him for a moment, smiling. He admired her naked body. The long and – as he knew – well muscled legs, the curve of her hips. The mass of dark red hair falling over her shoulders and back almost down to her ass. The way her breasts slightly bobbed with every step. "Won´t you get up, lazybones ?" "Will you take me to the shower with you?" he asked teasingly. "No", she informed him resolutely. He turned his head away and yawned. "Then I won´t." He glimpsed her smile from the corner of his eye. Not that somehow sad and serious one he had seen her wear that often over the last years. But the mischievous one that told him that, though if perhaps only for the moment, she was alright.

* * *

"Jesus, Jean, you look _weary_." Ororo stretched the last word in a quite suggestive way. Jean only smiled. "Get one ?" she asked the friend, gesturing towards the fresh coffee. "Gladly!" He watched the redheaded woman´s features change. She suddenly looked concerned. "Something´s off ?" she asked. "No. Everything´s fine." Jean let her gaze wander through the room. "It´s only…" She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. "I still feel somehow guilty sometimes." Ororo touched her forearm. "You know there´s no reason for that." Jean breathed heavily. "I know." "O girl." Ororo put her cup down to the counter and touched Jean´s forearm. "There is no single reason for this. _He _left. It was _his_ decision. And out there´s a guy who would march through living hell for you…" "Scott would have done that too", Jean snapped, herself surprised of that harsh reaction. But Ororo didn´t look offended. "Just to see you smile", she finished her sentence. Jean sighed again, but with the beginning of another smile on her face. Ororo slightly squeezed her arm for a moment, then released it, picking up her coffee again. They left the kitchen together, heading to their classrooms. "Why did you never tell me ?" Jean asked. "About what ?" Ororo asked. "About your doubts regarding Scott and me." Ororo shrugged. "Well, that was none of my business, Jean, and as long as he didn´t hurt you…" The dark skinned woman sighed. "But I always thought…." "What ?" Jean asked, raising her eyebrows. Ororo bit her lower lip for a moment. "Don´t get me wrong, girl - you know how much I like Scott as a friend. But I always wondered if he´s not…a little bit too boring as a partner for you." Jean threw her a wry look. "Oh, and you think that Logan is just the dash of excitement I needed." The white haired woman only chuckled. "Well – tell me, darling."

Unexpectedly, somebody grabbed her wrist and dragged here around the corner. He pressed her against the wall behind her for a deep and passionate kiss. One of the books she wore on her arm slipped out of her grip and fell to the floor. They didn´t care. She gasped when he released her. "Logan! Stop doing this", she whispered, indignantly. He shook his head. "Sorry, Doctor Gray, but this matter bore no delay." She felt his hands on his hips, his thumbs caressing her skin right under the hem of her shirt. He chuckled, satisfied to notice her arousal. He bent forward for another kiss, his tongue sweet and soft in her mouth.

He let his hand drop when he heard some of the students approaching down the hall. She immediately missed his touch. Suddenly feeling quite hot, she bent down to get the book she had dropped. He had had the same thing in mind. They knocked their heads together accidentally. She hissed – being hit by his adamantium boosted skull was not funny. "Sorry, darling", he whispered, snatching the book from the floor. She moved to get closer to him for another kiss, but he gestured to her to stop. Then one of the pupils rounded the corner and passed them. She threw her lover a thankful look. He only frowned.

She was very touchy about these things – being kissed or touched by him anywhere else than in their own rooms. He accepted lust and desire more easily than she did – perhaps as a consequence of his mutation, which made these things naturally really strong in him. She was quite oversensitive up to some point regarding this stuff. Everybody around knew that she had been with Cyclops for years before the former team leader had left the mansion – and her, almost a year ago. And though everybody knew that she was with him now, she didn´t want too many people to witness his attentions.

Admittedly, things would never end with a chastely kiss as they had usually ended when she had been with Scott. Logan had finally managed to accept and respect Scott as a team mate, a partner in battle – but he despised him as a man. That tight-lipped unapproachable fucker, boastful only because Jean had chosen him years before, maybe actually more out of an overwhelming loyalty and the wish of being accepted by a man who didn´t reject her for her mutation.

She had given him everything – just to find herself abandoned almost immediately when the Phoenix had made his first appearance. The idiot had left her right when she´d had needed him most, had needed every bit of consolation she´d been offered. Allowedly, it had cleared the way for him, as he mused that she would never have abandoned him as for that sheer endless loyalty of hers, regarding oneeye. But still, though this might be her business in the first place, he would never forgive the guy for hurting her like that, letting her down right in the middle of that turmoil.

He shoved the thoughts aside – there was no use to continue thinking about it. The only thing that counted was that Cyclops, leaving the team, the mansion and Jean, had offered him the chance to be there for her the way he had wanted to do for years. To take care of her. To make her his own. Considering all that, three cheers to the lasereyed bastard – as long as he didn't ever come again close enough to hurt her.

So being considerate of her touchiness, he tried to back off as long as too many people were around, though he admittedly liked to make her jump and blush every time she only feared getting caught. They had actually been caught in the act by Rogue only days ago. He had been too turned on to notice anything or anyone around right at that moment. And the kid had appeared to a quite surprising and exactly wrong time at a quite surprising and wrong place. He had mused later on that she had probably appeared there with at least for them quite surprising intentions, too.

In fact, both the women had badly blushed back then. He had been stunned by the quite revealing dress the younger girl had been wearing, realizing again that he still refused to regard her as a grown up nowadays. She had been stunned to find him and Jean in such a, well, private situation – though there had only been some kissing and cuddling. He had finally stepped back and left, amused, to spare the womenfolk further embarrassment. Though he couldn´t other but passing the younger woman that close that she blushed only deeper, advising her harshly to keep herself clean.

"You´re dreamin´ ?" Jean´s voice rang through his thoughts. He only muttered something uncomprehensible, slightly annoyed that he had just been caught off his guard. "You´re going to accompany me to lunch ?" she repeated the question, still smiling. He only nodded approval. He would have preferred a private lesson on their own, but knew that she wanted to concentrate on her job at least right until after classes. Knowing that she would concentrate on him later on in the same diligent way, he´d be content with that meanwhile. Besides, he had an appointment on his own with Colossus for a workout after lunch.

He followed her and one of the other teachers silently to the dining room, enjoying the sight of her hips and ass moving with every step, her long fingers gesturing vividly while explaining something to the other.

Seven days left to the summer holidays. Seven days and that weird invitation to that weird gathering all the others were so excited and worried about. With that done, he would have her completely for his – at least for a while.


	9. Birthday

_Countdown for all the x guys meeting! I hope you enjoy and things don´t get too smoochy at once ;)_

_Fyrefly, please forgive me stealin´ the "You learn somethin´new ever day"-statement from you - I just loved it!_

* * *

Some weeks later, she proudly served him another roast. This time, it was, well, nearly perfect, she stated. Nearly eatable, he´d answer afterwards. There was something that kept her mind busy, he could tell. But obviously something not too bad – she would have already been shouting at him as soon as he had opened the door otherwise, he mused. Sooner or later that evening, she would tell him.

He was right. She did so halfway through the meal. "We got to talk about next Tuesday", she said. He didn't even look up from his plate. "What about it ?" he asked, pretending both ignorance and innocence. "Next Tuesday, Mr. Creed, is my fuckin´ thirtieth birthday." Well, she might have been surprised, but he was actually aware of that. The fact alone wasn't that problematic.

"And I am gonna celebrate that."

He stared at her. So _there_ lay the problem. "Are you ?" he asked, sounding indifferent. "Yes, I am!" That sounded quite excited. She put her fork down. "And as I don´t want to go without you, but not without my friends either, we two will have our own little party the night before – if you don´t mind." He had actually minded before – but the problem seemed already be solved right now. He actually had to be elsewhere next Tuesday evening. But as she had planned this so nicely – and he was quite sure that she racked her brain about that for at least some days – he wasn't going to tell her how much that suited him.

She herself watched him for a moment. She was looking forward to the party. Some friends of old days would visit. She had also invited some of the new colleagues. She hoped that Cam would be available.

She was looking forward to it, but at the same time, it made her feel a little bit strange. She led a kind of double life, as there was no way to tell her friends about the man she actually lived with. The other way round, there was no way to introduce even her close friends to him.

Still, sometimes the pathways of their lives crossed. Like when he had met Cameron – that meeting had been actually precipitated by Victor himself, though he had blamed her for it later on, as usual. Like when he had met her former boyfriend Matthew, appearing out of nowhere right in the middle of a remarkable argument. If he hadn´t showed up back then, she might actually have beaten up the guy.

Like when she had met that sword carrying maniac Wilson when they had been attacked during their trip to the Rockies. Not to forget, like when they had met that mysterious woman some weeks ago.

She sometimes felt like living in two different worlds – in her normal one all day and somehow in his at night. Well, she liked to believe she lived in his one. But she was more probably the same kind of foreign object there like he was in hers. But right now, she was not ready to change that in any way.

* * *

When he arrived the following Monday, late in the afternoon, something was obviously wrong. Besides the fact that the backdoor stood widely open, the whole lower level was a mess. When he entered, he almost stumbled over her sportsbag and boots, carelessly left right behind the door.

The kitchen was covered in dirty dishes, clothes and documents. Some broken porcelain covered the counter besides the sink. There was a half empty bottle of beer, obviously forgotten, at the kitchen table, the whole surface covered with stuff of any kind.

The living room looked similar. Clothes scattered over the couch and chairs. The large book shelf at one wall half empty, the books it had contained spread around loosely or in piles. The rests of a hurried meal covered the table in front of the couch. Half her record collection covered the floor in front of the stereo.

He wasn´t that kind of orderly. He didn´t need that kind of overdone tidiness mania soldiers got drilled to. But this kind of mess made him feeling uncomfortable immediately. Especially as the mess around her was usually and indicator for the mess of emotions she found herself into.

He impatiently reduced the level the stereo blasted at. The noise almost wrecked his hearing. He mused again that it was surprising that she was not aldready deaf.

She recognized the sudden relative silence. "V. ?" she called from upstairs. He grimaced. _Who else ?_ He heard her hurrying down the stairs.

She was besides herself – one look at her was enough. "Will you tell me what this fuckin´ mess is about ?" he asked. She only glanced around shortly. "Oh I don´t care!" she answered grumpily. "So what´s wrong ?" "You won´t believe – at least I couldn´t!" She grabbed a letter from the table nearby and waved it around. "Somebody bought the house!" He threw her a wry look. "What does that mean ?" "_What does that mean ?_" she echoed. "It means that some asshole just bought the house I just moved in – I just furnished!" "Somebody outbid you ?" "_Outbid_ me ? I didn´t even know that the fuckin´ thing was _to be sold_!" She spared him the fact that she had just bought a new car and would never have had the money to buy the house anyway. "And who bought it ?" he asked. She shrugged. "I have no idea! The agency only informed me that it had been sold! I mean, how sick is that ? There was nobody here to check it out! Who the fuck buys a house he hasn´t even seen from inside before ?" He glanced over the chaos around. "Whoever bought it might have wanted it as a kind of investment property", he suggested. She turned to him, surprised. She was not used to him using such a vocabulary. "Investment property ? A single family home ?" He shrugged. "Just a suggestion. And what do you intend to do now ?" She threw the paper back to the table, frustrated. "Don´t know. I entertained the thought of asking you to visit the guy." He threw her a wry look. She shrugged. "Maybe I am gonna call the agency to check things out – but definitely not tomorrow! I am only glad I received the letter today and not on the day of my birthday!" He threw a look at the watch. She followed his gaze, suddenly looking embarrassed. Her hair was still wet. She was only in worn out clothes she would never leave the house in.

He had told her the evening before to be ready at around six to leave – as he wasn´t willing witness another tantrum if she screwed the dinner again – or being killed later on by eating it. Completely outraged when she had read the letter, she had completely forgotten about time. "You´d better stop wailing and get ready!" he suggested, giving her one of the real dark stares. She was not sure why, but she hurried to follow that order.

They took her car to leave town. Some miles later, he ordered her to turn left. At the backyard of some abandoned factory building, they changed into his car. She got into the passenger´s seat, reaching out to adjust the safety belt. "Wait." She turned to him. "What ?" "Turn", he ordered. She noticed the piece of cloth in his hand. "What the hell you´re up to ?" she asked, puzzled. He cocked his head, impatient again. „I´m gonna blindfold you." She wanted to ask him if he was really serious about that, but hesitated. He was obviously not joking. "Is that really necessary ?" she asked. He raised his eyebrows. "I could knock you out instead."

She sighed. "Fine." She turned. "Will the drive take long ?" she asked, feeling quite uncomfortable letting him blindfold her. „Yeah. You could get some sleep meanwhile." She nodded. "And I was really looking forward to glance around at the landscape", she mocked.

"Where the hell are we ?" Her eyes needed a moment to adjust after being blindfolded for a while. He didn´t answer and she hurried after him out of the car. She had guessed that they had reached some kind of town or city, as they had to stop from time to time and she believed to notice that they drove slower by now. But she had no idea where exactly they were.

He had parked the car in a narrow alley, high walls bordering it from both sides. There were only few lights around.

They entered through the backdoor. She caught the delicious smells of Chinese cooking. The low sounds of voices, talking in a language that was definitely not hers. An Asian looking woman met them halfway down the hall. Slightly bowing in that polite Asian way to them, she silently accompanied them to the small main room of the restaurant. There were a few tables at the darker back of the room, privately shielded from too many curious looks.

Sethra followed willingly – stunned. The guy was taking her out for dinner. It was on the top of the list she had never ever expected him to do. But she wouldn´t spoil it by any sarcastic comment. The moment was to weirdly astonishing. And she was too curious about what he was up to next. She wondered if a guy like him would propose like other men, offering a diamond ring – or, more likely, present her some freshly stricken bloody prey as a proof of his fondness.

The woman they had met earlier served them the whole evening. She smiled to Sethra, but didn't talk. He had obviously ordered the whole thing in advance, even the food, so there was not much to talk about anyway. He had in fact ordered that much that she wondered who the hell should eat all that.

As a consequence of their well hidden place, she saw not much of the other guests, either. There was muffled talk and the typical sounds of a restaurant, but nothing she would have been able to take in in detail. The food was just the best she had ever had – he knew she would appreciate that.

She had never imagined to do something like this in his company. She figured she had thought of that – of him – as too much out of place. In fact, they were guests like anybody else. She realized that he was much better in eating with chopsticks than she was. His try to show her what she did wrong ended with pieces of meat dropping into the bowl of soy sauce. Their waitress, who had watched the scene unnoticed, just giggled and went over to them. She only gestured to Victor to stop and showed her how to use them properly. She didn´t even need to explain it by words. For a while, they were more than occupied with eating.

When she felt completely pigged out, she rested back on her chair and watched him. "You should take me out more often", she suggested. He grinned. "Once a year should really be enough." Sethra made big eyes when the waitress served her her favourite dessert. "Where the hell did you know that ?" she asked, sure that she had never eaten it or talked about that with him around. "You´re always so curious about my job, aren´t you ?" Another fang flashing grin. "That´s part of it." She smiled, preparing to munch the dessert down, pigged out or not. "That´s part of every decent observation a man should do around his favourite woman", she dryly stated. He softly forced the spoon out of her hand to taste it, too. She grabbed it back from him. "Get your own!" she stated, pretending jealousy. "Don´t eat too much!" he only warned her. "I don´t want you to be sick later on."

* * *

This time, the ride didn´t take that long, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes. She only noticed changes in the lighting. They were still at some city. Cars passed them from time to time, but not too many.

Finally, they stopped. She reached up to get rid of the blindfold, but he grabbed one of her wrists. "Not yet." She frowned. He directed her out of the car and to the door, letting her pass the sill first. He turned for a second, shooting a glance up to the roof feet above him to the slim built silhouette watching them. The figure nodded to him. He returned the gesture, contended. They would stay unchallenged for the upcoming hours.

She had stopped after some steps, one hand reaching out to discover anything in front of her. „May I take it off now ?" she asked. "No." He went past her and grabbed her by the arm. She followed hesitantly, fearing to stumble over something. "Scared ?" he asked after some steps. He sounded amused. "I can´t see a damn thing and it smells around like you dragged me down into some dungeon!" she answered, slightly annoyed. He stopped and she bumped into him. "Don´t you trust me ?" She sighed. "I do." A chuckle. "Shouldn´t I ?" It made him feel uneasy for a moment. Her answer had come promptly. Still, the temptation was overwhelming. He shoved her back against the wall, one arm around her waist. "I think it´s not very wise", he teased her lowly. "That keeps crossing my mind occasionally, too", she whispered. He bent down and kissed her. They stood there for a long moment, the smell and feel of darkness, mud and concrete rivalling the comfort of his body and warmth next to her. She sighed when he released her. "I think I´ll take my chances", she whispered.

Three stairs and what felt like a hundred steps later, they reached a massive door. He unlocked the high tech locking system.

They entered and she was finally allowed to take a look around. In front of them opened a large room, the high ceiling letting it appear more than some kind of hall. Well, that was obviously what it had been in former times. Some kind of factory. The main room contained a small kitchen unit at the windowless wall on the left. There was a small and old looking living room suite and a tv in front of the many narrow but at least head high windows. Right in front of them led only half closed slide doors into another, probably smaller room.

He crossed the room and opened the slide doors completely, throwing the stuff they brought to the huge bed behind, giving her time to look around. She needed not long to realize that this was a hideout – maybe barely used and maybe one he occasionally shared with others, regarding the partly rather surprising things stuffed here. A huge cross cycle lent against the wall besides the entrance door. Some odd looking boxes and cases were stapled along the walls. Some of them looked appallingly obvious like the ones one would store weapons in.

She grabbed one of a pair of short sticks from a shelf. There were two pairs, and two pairs of long sticks to complete the set. "You´re trained in stickfighting ?" she asked. "Did it for a while as a pastime", he answered. "Though these are Wade´s." She threw him a puzzled look. "Wilson", he added. "Oh." She grinned. The swords guy. "That´s what you´re doing in you free time ?" she asked. "Discovering new ways to wreck people ?" He chuckled. "You learn something new every day, darlin´." She turned the stick in her hand, slowly getting the feeling of how to use it back into her fingers, smiling. As if the showoff would have needed any weapon besides his hands to wreak havoc. "You can use them ?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah. Though I took the last lesson years ago. Cracked my cheekbone in a fight." As if the showoff would have needed any weapon besides his hands and body to wreak havoc. The whole room was a mix of things which didn´t belong together naturally. Furnishings like these didn´t get together with old factory halls. Motorcycles didn´t belong into living rooms. Munition boxes not besides tv´s.

"So it´s a hideout, isn´t it ?" He chuckled, nodding. "How would you know ?" She smiled. "Well, the fridge´s just not big enough for longer stays, isn´t it ? ", she answered, grinning. "Smart ass", he only commented.

She glanced over the huge bed. "I hope this isn´t Wilson´s, too ?""No." He chuckled. "He´s more into the touchy kind of girls. The silk and satin thing. So keep things rough-and-ready and it will keep them and him away." "Oh." She nodded. "What´s his tactic ?" she asked. "Talking them into unconsciousness ?" She took her jacket of but he gestured to her to stop.

He led her up another stair, opening a heavy door at the upper end. It led to the roof. He hold a hand out to her.

The view was stunning. The surroundings in front of them lay in darkness around them. The sky was clear, every star up there visible like diamonds scattered over black velvet. She sighed, taking in the cold air. He embraced her from behind. "Turn", he lowly ordered. She made a low sound of surprise. When they had entered the roof, the city had laid behind them. Turning allowed her to overview the sea of lights down there. She watched for a moment, then turned again, putting her head back to look up to the sky again. "I like that better", she stated. He put his arms around her to warm her. They stood there wrapped in silence for a while. He could have bet that she would say that. _Just his girl._

For a sentimental moment, she feared she would start to cry. It would have been the right moment to tell him that she loved him. The right moment in another world. So she suppressed telling him, fearing that he would never answer it, and only grabbed his hand. There were that many things unsaid between them that it felt more right to keep things that way.

When she finally shivered, he made her turn in his embrace, his hands stroking through her hair. "We should get in", he suggested. "To bed ?" she asked, her tone hopeful by purpose. "Or am I not longer interesting now ?" He skipped an answer for a long kiss. Then dragged her in again with him. „Believe me, girl, there´s still plenty you got to learn", he promised.

* * *

When she returned from the bathroom, he captured her into another embrace. The unusual soft mood he was in surprised her. "Undress for me", he whispered into her ear. She tightened a little, blushing a little the way he liked. "Come on", he challenged.

He didn´t need her to give him a hot show. She just needed to undress for him. Slowly. Revealing the black bra under her shirt, slowly stripping the tight jeans down her ass and legs. It was enough to let him want to ravish her right there. There was no pleasure in the striptease of a girl who had done it a hundred times for a hundred other men, fully aware of the impact every intended movement would have on the baser instincts of the onlooker. Watching her simply getting rid of her clothes piece by piece, causing her cheeks to flush in that lovely innocent way only by the thought of him observing here, was much more delicious.

"Please", she whispered. _Bloody hell._ Even after months, the mere thought of the girl begging him to continue instead of begging him to stop gave him a thrill. He hesitated on purpose for a moment, only causing her to whisper an outrageous obscenity to provoke him. He softly slapped the back of his hand over her lips. "What shall we do about your little dirty talking mouth, huh ?" She blushed again, but didn´t avert her eyes. They were dark with lust by now. He pinned both her wrists with one hand over her head, staring down at her. Knowing she didn´t like to be that exposed. "You´d better suggest a compensation before I do", he teased. He pressed his lower body a little tighter against her, making her groan. She had been ready the moment she had finished undressing. She had waited far too long for her taste right now. "Stop boasting and get to work", she whispered.

It proved harder for him to hang back than he had expected this time. There was a thrill of ecstasy in the whole thing. The girl beneath him, longing for him to take her. Having her at his own place this time, in his bed, after following him here willingly – even blindly, which could be taken literally. She hadn´t asked where they would go or what might be his plans. She might not have realized the whole meaning of that to him. Maybe as she had done it several times before in some ways. But the fact that the girl laid her life into his hands, stepping right into the lion´s den that way just stunned him. It was an experience he had made before. But rarely.

It was a hard job but he managed to control things long enough to work her to her own climax seconds before he reached his. He overcame it faster than she did and caught her carefully. He sometimes got the impression that she had no idea what to do with the flood of feelings overwhelming her in that moment. Whereas it left other women in a state of total relaxation, it seemed to leave her in a state of some relaxation and relief, but in extraordinary fragility, too.

Considering things in general, he had no use for too fragile things as they used to break too easily around him. He faced again the realization that he was determined to keep this little thing around anyway – and that he was even willing to try and keep her safe. A realization that kept surprising the man and annoying the animal.

She didn´t ask questions, at least not the wrong ones. She didn´t make demands too often – and if she did, they were usually more surprising than really annoying. She accepted things. Not only as she had to, but as she wanted to. She arranged the rest of her life around him, and though he usually pretended indifference, he knew that it made things complicated for her.

He loved her for that, and he kept wondering if he would ever be able to prove it somehow. But at the same time, he wondered if all that was very wise – and if it would do her any good.

* * *

He woke her up quite intimately the next morning. He had originally only intended to tease her a bit, but he should have known better. He had already burned up most of his control last night. What had been planned as a bit of sweet torture turned quickly into a slightly rougher version. But as the birthday girl didn´t seem to be too disappointed by that, so he mused that it was alright.

She spent most of the drive back home sleeping as they had left his place early in the morning. She was still bleary when they arrived at where they had left her car. He had already told her that he wouldn´t accompany her home as he would be busy for the rest of the day. After that night, that was alright for her. She would have time to relax and get ready for the party in the evening, glad that she had decided to meet her friends at a restaurant instead of a big party at home. They might only end there for some drinks later on.

They shared a kiss before she got off the car. She smiled at him. "Thanks for the trip", she whispered. "Don´t overdo tonight", he stated. "You´re coming home later on ?" she whispered. She then bit her lip – that question had slipped her without thinking. To her relief, he didn´t seem to bother. "Don´t think so", he finally answered. "The job might take all night." She refused to think about the possible implications of that. She bent forward to him for another kiss. He didn´t refuse it, but grinned afterwards. "You´re getting soft on your old days ?" She only grimaced at him before she left. Taking the fact that he hadn´t shouted at her for asking her the silly home coming question as well as the last night as a proof that he maybe might start to trust her in the end.


	10. Inferno

_This chapter was written just today, though I thought about it for quite a while, though again for another occasion. I think it will be revised again for spelling mistakes and stuff, but I think for getting the message, it will do right now ;-) As fighting scenes give me almost the same trouble as the smutty ones, I hope it will fit ;-) Clearly inspired from the big battle at the end of X 3 and the idea of the girls taking a stand!_

* * *

„I still have a bad feeling about this", Storm insisted. "You´re overdoing this", Jean contradicted. "Nothing will happen there. We go there, we meet the guy, we´ll see if we can get something useful out of all this." She looked over to Logan who was leaning against the window sill, looking bad tempered. "Storm´s right", he confirmed. "We don´t know what this guy is up too. He might want to share these research results as he says. But regarding his past, he can´t be trusted." Jean had received that kind of invitation for a meeting with a former famous anti human scientist weeks ago. Their own research regarding him had brought more alarming than convincing results. She seemed to be the only one who didn´t regard this meeting as that dangerous.

"We should take somebody else with us", Storm insisted. Jean sighed. They had discussed this more or less every day for weeks now. "Alright. So you, Logan and I. Who else ?" "I´ll be in", Rogue volunteered. "What about Hank ?" Logan asked. "He´s not available", Ororo answered. "He´s got an appointment in L.A. he has to attend to." Logan nodded to Rogue. "Tell Colossus and Iceman to get ready for tonight", he addressed her. The younger mutant nodded and left. Jean sighed again, turning to the professor who had stayed surprisingly quiet the whole time. "What do you think ?" she asked him, using her voice instead of her mind on purpose. Xavier looked up to her, still thoughtful. He would have preferred to tell her about his apprehensions without the others, especially without Logan around, but she considered her mentor´s point of view as equally important for the others than it was for her.

The old man sighed. "We shouldn´t underestimate the possible danger", he finally said. "I know you don't like to hear that, Jean, but as people know about the Phoenix now, we´ll have to consider the possibility that they maybe want to abuse your powers for their own advantage." "On the other hand, if it´s right what he told us, that he really has made these discoveries about the x gene he talked about, it would be a huge breakthrough." She had discussed that point several times with Hank by now. It was actually hard to believe, but not impossible. "So we go all!" Ororo decided. Logan nodded agreement, leaving Jean feeling like a child one had to supervise. "Alright", Ororo concluded. "We´ll get ready at five. Final meeting at 5:30. I´ll tell the kids." The others nodded and left.

* * *

Logan could tell that Jean was everything else than contended with this. She roamed their rooms, obviously feeling uncomfortable, until he couldn´t bear it any longer and grabbed her shoulders. "Look, Jean, this is not about outvoting or patronizing you." She bit her lower lip. "I know. I just…." She raised a hand in a helpless gesture. „ I don´t want to go there accompanied like a rockstar." "And I don´t want watching you being harassed like one", Logan answered ill humouredly. "I feel treated like an oversensitive child one moment and like a dangerous animal the next. People regard me as a kind of time bomb!" He frowned. She realised that he might know exactly like she felt. "So we make the perfect couple, don't we ?" he stated dryly. He caressed her cheek for a moment. "Nobody around her wants to put you in danger. We´ll go there together, we´ll take the team. Just to make sure." She took a deep breath. "Come on!" he whispered. "Let´s take care of this and after tonight, we´ll take a break." He bent forward for a kiss. "Agree ?" he asked afterwards. She nodded. "Agree", she only answered, feeling at least a little bit better.

* * *

At around the same time, another bunch of invited participants had just finished their briefing for the same event.

Blaze touched Victor´s forearm, only shortly glancing at the mutants around them. "You´re finished ?" He nodded, contended for the moment. Everything had been planned weeks ago. They had chosen the backup carefully. Everybody knew what to do. Every one of them could be trusted. "She´s here", the girl informed him.

They watched her come along. A fragile looking small woman in dark fitting clothes. Dark hair dressed in a tight ponytail fell to her shoulders. Dark eyes glanced over the attendants. She didn´t look quite extraordinary – in fact, quite normal. A woman in her thirties, obviously with Asian ancestors. Still, she radiated a kind of calm but unmistakeably authority none of the man and women present would challenge. A likely slim figured but taller female feral accompanied her. The wolfgirl and Victor nodded to each other. Lian Mae gestured politely to her that she would be fine alone with him. Daria stayed around, but granted them the privacy Lian Mae had asked for.

"You´re ready ?" his protégée asked. He nodded again. "If you are." She looked up to him, smiling mischievously. "I am." He sat down at one of the cases that were stored all over the warehouse. "You look quite relaxed today", she mentioned. He chose to misinterpret that comment. "Well, everything´s ready. They will work together smoothly." "That´s not what I meant", she promptly answered. He grabbed her jaw softly. "Stay out of my head", he ordered firmly, but still sounding slightly amused. "Why didn´t you tell me you´re with a woman again ?" she asked, smiling. He released her, knowing that skin contact would make things only easier for her – though she would have no trouble to read his thoughts over quite a distance or as close as him right now anyway. "Why don´t you tell me why you didn´t bring Jeff to protect you", he asked, referring to her husband. "You´re right", she suddenly agreed. "We should defer the coffee party right now." He nodded. She raised one hand. "Let me adjust", she requested. Another nod. She grabbed his hand, concentrating on his mind. She took her time. When she finally broke skin contact, he didn´t really feel her there or was able to put lay a finger on whatever made him feel like this – but something that didn´t belong there seemed to linger somewhere in a dark corner of his head.

They got into the first car, accompanied by Daria and a driver. The others would stay in disguise – as back up, if needed. When they arrived at the area where the fair took place, she touched his forearm. "Like back in the old times", she said, smiling. He only gave her a dark grin.

* * *

"Something´s wrong here", Jean muttered. "Exactly what I foresaw", Ororo answered lowly besides her while they slowly paced over the place. "What the hell you´re talking about ?" Logan hissed. He hadn´t spotted anything too suspicious yet. Storm turned to him. "Too much notables around", she answered darkly. She gestured cautiously to the direction where a group of sinister looking bodyguards lingered around a worn out looking small man with astonishingly glistering eyes. "Wayne Marshall, for example. One of the heads of the anti human movement. He rarely shows up somewhere that publicly nowadays." "Over there is Mira Nerasimov", Jean stated, stunned. "Holy Gods!" The surprise in Ororo´s voice let Logan and Jean turn their heads into the direction she looked. "Is that Nova ?" Ororo asked. It was a rhetorical question. Still, Jean nodded. Then, a rush of emotions flooded her mind. She turned to Logan, than followed his gaze. Towering behind the slim figured multiply gifted mutant woman, was Victor Creed. "What the hell is going on around here ?" Ororo asked.

Lian Mae and her attendants had entered the area from the opposite side. There might have been some hundred people around. Drinking, chatting, dancing, moving around the stalls and stages – just partying. Miller had called it the perfect place to meet on neutral territory.

Ororo won more and more the impression that it was also the perfect place for someone who wanted to meet someone else from whom he know that he or she wouldn´t risk that innocent people got hurt.

Nova, alias Lian Mae, entertained similar thoughts at the same time, though she wouldn´t probably share the Xavier´s group´s moral restraints considering collateral damage.

Both groups stopped some steps away from the edge of the large place in front of a bigger stage that was right at the moment occupied by some artists. Nova looked around, feeling Victor suddenly straighten behind her, but she realized at the same time that he wasn´t getting ready to fight. He seemed to have recognized someone. Well, he would actually know a lot of the mutants supposed to meet here and he _had _known that Xavier´s people would most probably bring Wolverine around… She opened her mind a little more towards him, surprised. He didn´t look at her, but the mix of feelings and thoughts flowing towards her made her mentally grin. He was the only man she knew who was able to cross his thick muscled arms in front of him and give her the _and-so-fucking-what?_-look – _mentally_.

Logan glanced around, a sudden thrill of agitation running through his body. "Stay back!" he ordered Jean along with Rogue and Colossus. "We´ll have a look around." Ororo stepped forward to accompany him.

Nova nodded to Daria to watch around. The female feral felt obviously uncomfortable of leaving her, but followed the order, Blaze immediately taking her place at the woman´s side.

They scouts had just disappeared into the crowd when the attack began.

Rogue was the first victim. A bullet pierced her shoulder, carrying her off from her feet with a squeal. "Rogue!" Jean´s head jerked around, watching Iceman taking care of her. More shoots fell. Panic spread around them within seconds.

Logan felt the animal taking over and let it happen. He needed his instincts now. He should have known. He glanced over to Storm who had already ascended to the air besides him. They headed for the place where they had left their companions.

"No!" Nova shouted. She had realized it too late, her mind working slower than normal as she mentally observed several happenings around the place. There was no time to avoid that the projectile hit Blaze´s chest. Instinctively, she grabbed Victor´s forearm with her right hand, catching Blaze´s with the left one. The projectile hit, injecting whatever its contents were into the girl´s body.

Victor only felt the slight impact of her mind entering his. Blaze stared down at the projectile, then grabbed it furiously, forcing it out of her skin. She watched her scratched forearm healing within seconds before freeing her arm from Nova´s grip to send a ball of fire across her attacker. "Thanks, Creed!" she hissed.

Victor didn´t glance around for the backup – they were reliable. He concentrated on guarding the girl instead. Daria was suddenly back out of the chaos around them, and together, they shielded her. "Over there!" he barked. They needed cover first.

Then the first attacker appeared right in front of him – one of many. So besides the fact that they were under fire, they would have to fight people head to head, too. With hideouts for snipers and more attackers everywhere around here, this would get hard. He glanced over to the gang of bodyguards of Marshall. Collaborating with them would probably work, as he and Lian Mae had worked together for a while, though years ago. Should his brainless brutes die in the first row. _Forget about Marshall!_ Nova´s thoughts rang through his mind. _Get us over to _them_! _She met Victor´s eyes for a moment. He didn´t hesitate.

"Jean!" Logan didn´t care for the projectiles hitting him. He forced his way through the panicking people. He took the situation in with one glance.

Rogue lay on the ground, gasping for air. Iceman was besides her, but his mutation seemed to fail. He had to fight the attacker next to him the ordinary way. Ororo did her part from above them, though risking of being shot as he was not sure where the shooting came from. Colossus covered Jean with his body – she seemed unharmed so far.

_Jean!_ The mental outcry made the redheaded mutant turn, her eyes searching the surroundings for the source of the silent scream.

Victor cleared the way for them, Blaze at his side. "Nearly there!" the girl triumphed, sending burst after burst of flames against their attackers.

Logan noticed his brother approaching them from behind. He didn´t like the thought, but better him than the enemy. They closed the small circle of defence they had built.

"Gimme your hand, Jean!" Lian shouted. Jean´s features froze. "No", she whispered, appalled. She had sworn to herself to never release the Phoenix again. She had achieved much – but not anything near to control. "Gimme your hand!" The force of Nova´s thoughts hit her, shouting the same that her voice did. _Trust me!_ Bobby stumbled, being hit. "We need to retreat!" Storm yelled.

Jean grabbed Nova´s outstretched hand, horror stricken about what the other one was planning. Their minds crashing into each other let them both gasp for breath. Still, they got somehow adjusted to each other within seconds. Jean raised her free hand, sending a line of attackers to the ground telekinetically. Lian Mae gritted her teeth, trying to steady and amplify Jean´s abilities without loosing grip on the observation job in her mind. She hissed in agony at the effort. Victor didn´t hang about. A short eye contact and gesture to Daria was enough. The female feral shot in front of her, protecting the smaller woman with her body instead of him.

Nova felt claws scratch over her neck for a second, then he grabbed her shoulder thightly. "Get goin´ !" he barked.

Jean felt another powerful impact. Than the animal. Her mind stepped backed, watching. The animal – but not the Phoenix. Her senses seemed to sharpen within seconds. With a short move of her hand, she sent another shockwave over the place, mowing down anybody in her way. Something doubled her power.

Blaze cried out behind them. The backup had cleared a way trough to them.

Then they were around, shielding the woman they protected with their bodies, their abilieties, their weapons.

It felt comforting for a second to know them at her back, but at the same time, linked to them mentally, Nova watched them fall while her body weakened. She seemed unable to breath, suddenly covered in sweat. "We have to get out of here!" Jean yelled. She felt a sudden change, more a mentally shiver. Then a wall of fire manifested in front of them. The heat took their breath. Jean turned. Lian grabbed her own hand with her right one, Blaze´s arm with the left. Creed covered their back, but kept at the same time in touch with the Asian woman. Jean realized that he powered her. "Fire!" Blaze roared over to Jean. It took the redheaded woman only a slight move of her outstretched fingers to create a wave of fire.

"Jimmy!" Logan´s head came up and, finishing another attacker, he glanced over his shoulder. "Retreat!" Victor roared.

For an instant, the younger feral absorbed the whole scene. That line of deadly dangerous but still vulnerable women. The companions on the ground. The backup troop fighting back attackers. The shabby but unoffending fair that had changed into an inferno within moments.

He glanced at the women besides them, fighting. Then at his brother. Their eyes locked. The decision was taken.

The backup cleared the way for the rest of them. Jean and Lian somehow managed to establish a kind of shield around them, wrapping them and the injured into it, following. Blaze reinforced the two ferals rampaging against their attackers. "Holy shit", the girl muttered when Ororo sank down close enough to support her, watching the brothers wreaking havoc there.

Jean gasped in relief when she realized that they had somehow achieved to keep control over the jet. "Get them in!" she yelled, gesturing towards the people around to take care of the wounded. Still in touch with Lian Mae, they stayed behind, fighting attackers back until the last four of their unexpected alliance were close. Ororo hurried to get the jet ready, as Jean was still needed outside. "Go!" Blaze shouted. "I´ll manage!" There were only a few men following them left, but that didn´t mean that the danger was over. The two psychic women watched her taking a moment to concentrate, getting into a strong position behind the brothers. "On three", she whispered, knowing that the ferals would hear it.

"Burn in hell!" she yelled, releasing the pent up energy at once.

The impact carried herself off her feet. Seconds later, strong hands grabbed her, jerking her away from the explosion she´d just caused.

* * *

Back into the ascending jet, Logan realized that they were not out of trouble now.

"Jean!" His voice almost cracked. "Jean!" Jean had trouble to see clearly, trouble to focus on anything, almost stumbling from weakness and exhaustion. She stared down at Rogue´s convulsing body in horror. She had obviously been hit several times. "Do something!" Logan roared. An instant later, Nova was besides him. She grabbed his arm, touching the girl´s cheek as it was the only place where she was able to touch skin. "No!" Jean cried. She had realized how Lian´s mutation worked, in fact not that different from Rogue´s own, but the girl couldn´t control it. Rogue´s body might be already too weak to start adopting Logan´s healing factor on its own. At the same time, catalyzing the healing without blocking out Rogue´s mutation was a possibly deadly risk for her. Victor was behind her in seconds.

For moments, time seemed to stop around them. Jean stared helpless at the friends and comrades-in-arms fight for the girl´s life. Victor growled, impossible to say if out of rage or agony. Logans fingers closed so hard around the woman´s forearm that he left dark marks there. He gritted his teeth.

It might really only had taken seconds until it worked. For Logan, they seemed like eternity. Then the girl squealed. Then screamed. But she was back, her wounds healing within seconds.

Lian sank back, panting, half unconscious as she was exhausted. She merely sagged into Victor´s arms. She looked like only her will kept her from passing out. She gestured towards Bobby. "What about him ?" she muttered.


	11. Birthday s eve

_Just again, welcome Stargate SG 1´s Cameron Mitchell on another guest appearance!_

_There´ll be one ore two more short chapters, but then a longer one again - promised ;-)  
_

_* * *  
_

„You could really have stayed at my house for the night!"Sethra insisted. "With the Boogeyman already sharpening his claws to gut me ?" Cameron chuckled. "Thanks, Seth, I prefer the barracks!" She sighed. "Why am I always surrounded by such pigheads, huh ?" "I´ll take you to the car", he offered. She threw him a wry look. "Cam, this is ridiculous." He smiled back. "I don´t care, girl." She shook her head, but didn´t contradict him further. They left the place where they had celebrated her birthday and headed towards the end of the road, where she had parked her car. "So you´re still with Mr. Evil ?" he asked. She nodded. "Yup." "When are you going to tell me what´s the matter with that guy ?" She laughed. "At the day you´re going to tell me about these top secret projects and missions you´re always on!" "Come on, Seth, you know I can´t !" She laughed again. "The same goes for me, man." "Oh come on!" They had reached the car and he looked at it, surprised. "New one ?" She nodded proudly. "Something I presented myself with for my birthday", she muttered. He eyed up the big van. Not that she would have needed such a big car, but it somehow fitted.

Finally, she turned to him. "You´re sure you don´t want me to give you a lift ?" she asked. He nodded. "Yeah. I´d like to walk for a while now." "Alright." She looked up to him. "What´s wrong ?" she asked out of a sudden bad feeling. He looked gloomy. "I´ll have to go on a mission again for some time", he answered. "Abroad ?" she asked. He nodded, though hesitantly. "Yeah. Kind of." She frowned at that comment, but didn´t press the matter. "For long ?" "Around five or six weeks at least." She sighed. She might not know where he went or what he exactly did there – but she knew that he had almost every time risked his life when he had went for one of these missions. "Don´t let me down!" she whispered. He chuckled, but it didn´t sound happy. His fingertips slipped carefully down the side of her neck, over a fresh looking bitemark at her neck, assiduously hidden under the hem of her shirt. "If he ever does any harm to you, I´m gonna kill him." All of a sudden, his voice sounded strangely grave and serious. Still, she tried a smile. "You know, that´s exactly what he tells me every time I leave for a workout with you." They hugged for a moment. "Get back in one piece, will you", she begged. A sad smile answered that. "I´ll do my best." The fingers of his left hand still touched her cheek. "Take care, Seth, promise me." She grabbed his hand. "You sound like you´re not coming back!" "I´ll do" he assured her, but it didn´t sound believable. He shook his head. "I´ll do", he repeated. "I am sorry. It´s just messing with my head this time." He relaxed a little. "Don´t worry." She softly squeezed his hand. "Don´t let me down!" she repeated. He smiled. A moment of silence followed.

"He doesn´t really appreciate what he´s got", he suddenly stated. Then he lowered his head.

It took her completely by surprise. His kiss was soft - but clearly intended. Admittedly, it was the most gentle kiss she had gotten for a while.

"Take care." He left, turning her back on her. He didn't look back. She stared at the friend´s back, unable to move or talk. Simply stunned.

She watched him disappear around a corner. Then hurried to get into the car.

Realization hit her two streets later. Cursing under her breath, she stopped, desperately searching for a bottle of water in her sports bags. She found one and opened it to moisten her hand and lips, trying to wash his scent away. _Take care_, he´d said – unwittingly passing her death sentence. Victor would slash her. Getting the scents of her friends all over here from the hugs and kisses on her cheeks was one thing and surely annoying enough. _Tasting_ Cameron of all people on her lips – well, the mere imagination made her lose nerves. A miracle alone that he hadn't been there waiting for here outside the bar. Another thought shot through her mind. What if he had witnessed…

She squealed, for some seconds overwhelmed by panic. Then tried to relax. If he´d have witnessed, he wouldn't have hold off.

He would have killed Cameron first, letting her witness _that_, and her right after that. Or maybe not. Or not directly after that…

Well, there was still a more than big chance to die on the evening of her thirtieth birthday.

When she found that he wasn't there when she arrived at home, she hurried to get under the shower and stayed there for quite a while. Better go get rid of anything possibly annoying.

* * *

She didn´t worry that night as he had told her that he didn´t know how long that job might take.

She didn´t worry too much the night after that. He didn´t show up every night. She was used to that as she was used to wake up and find herself alone.

On night number three, she started wondering where the stray had disappeared to again.


	12. Interlude

„So she´s a class five", Storm stated. "God knows she is", Hank answered, sounding quite impressed. "The last thing I heard was that she was getting involved with Jefferson Barkleym, that class five from Montana they accused of multiple murder years ago." Ororo wasn´t interested in this kind of details right now. "How did this work ?" She turned to the others. "I mean – what the hell did they do ?"

"Lian Mae has great telepathic abilities", the professor answered. "She´s able to locate people, control their minds. Read their thoughts and manipulate their memory." He gestured vaguely. "She´s an uniquely talented woman. Besides the telepathy, she´s able to absorb or transfer other mutants abilities to herself or to others." He threw a look to Jean. "Like she transferred Victor´s energy and strength to you and Blaze." "So that´s what weakened him that way ?" Storm asked. The professor nodded. "Yes. She can control it, but only for a short period of time – unless somebody powers her." Jean bit her lower lip, considering. "Transferring the healing ability to Rogue was still a risk", she said. The professor nodded. "Yes. She didn´t know about her ability, I think, but realized it the moment she touched her. It took Logan´s and Victor´s energy to control Marie´s ability and give her at the same time the ability to heal. How is she now ?" he asked. Hank cocked his head. "Still exhausted. So is Creed." He met Ororo´s eyes. "I got Logan and Pete down there guarding them", he answered her question before she could even ask. "What about the others ?" she asked instead. "No too serious injuries", Jean answered. "Give them some days and they´ll be fine. Rogue is still in shock, but her body has healed completely. Same goes for Bobby." She bit her lower lip, thinking.

Nova had helped where she could, but had finally had to face the consequences of overusing her powers. Though she was able to draw energy from other people, the effort to concentrate so hard had taken its toll. She had finally passed out, caught by the feral who had lent her his energy.

Creed had hold out longer. He and Pete had somehow managed to transport the unconscious Logan to the infirmary - the metal covering his skeleton made it difficult for any ordinary people to carry him around. Jean and two of the older students, medical students at home at the mansion for semester break, had taken care of everyone else who needed medical attention. Creed had stayed around Nova afterwards, and she had just realized that he was still borrowing her his energy and ability to heal when the strain had been too much even for him. He had passed out from one second to another, and dropped to the floor like a felled oak. Jean didn´t like Logan´s brother much, but it had been quite disturbing for here to watch such a man fall. She had been glad to have the two youngsters around helping her with the medical attention. But she had to admit, she had also been glad in a weird way to have him around. Everybody had been in shock, herself included. His calm presence around had been somehow helpful.

"…we had. But what for ? And we don´t know if we can trust them just because they fought with us last night. Fighting the same enemy doesn´t mean we´re allies." Ororo stopped talking. "Jean ? You´re alright ?" The redheaded woman looked up and made a small apologetic sound, realizing that she had missed half the concersation. "I am sorry", she whispered. "I think up to this point, we have just not enough information about what happened", the professor concluded. "And as there is no acute danger right now – you all should rest!"

* * *

The incident at the fair was all over the news for weeks. There had been many victims. In fact, half of the place had been razed to the ground that night. Days passed, but the authorities were not able to find out about the reasons or the initiators of the whole incident. The caused damage was tremendous.

Another fact stayed unmentioned on the news, but was quickly confirmed by the X teams more private sources. Wayne Marshall, one of the other highly psychic attendants of that meeting that had never taken place, had definitely been kidnapped – though they couldn´t think of the reasons for that by now.

* * *

Lian Mae yawned, entering the small living room. Victor was already up and there. As he had been almost any time she had entered that damn room for the last weeks. He had only left her and the mansion for a one and a half day trip, escorting her twin sister to one of her own hideouts. It had been staged to make possible observers believe that she had left. It was meant to reduce the danger – for herself and for their hosts. She wasn´t willing to put the school in any unnecessary danger. Her sister had kept moving around since then – though they did not even know if they were still watched. She sighed. Today´s meeting with the x team hadn´t brought any new information. Things just didn´t make sense.

She greeted the feral, still feeling sleepy. She felt like she had spent more time sleeping during the last three weeks than ever before, but the feeling of tiredness and exhaustion didn´t vanish or at least slacken. She was guarded non-stop by Daria or Victor, Daria sharing a bedroom with her. Creed had insisted on that at least. She know he would have felt better to guard her himself. But they both knew that there were reasons why she had a female feral bodyguard around usually. Her husband´s jealousy was famous.

Victor had suspected from the start that she hadn´t told _him_ about her intentions to partake in that meeting. She knew he would never have allowed her to go. Though she was a more than independent girl, he would have been possibly outraged enough to imprison her just to prevent her from going. The man was highly gifted, almost bursting with unusual talents, but he was at the same time smart enough to know that she was his weak point. He would never have allowed her to take that risk and privately, Victor agreed with him regarding that. With the difference that had been of the opinion that is would be better to accompany her there instead of trying in vain to keep her away. He had to admit now that he himself seemed to have underestimated the enemy this time.

"Will you have breakfast with us ?" Lian Mae asked. Daria chuckled. "Tomcat´s up to beat up his brother again", she answered before Victor had any chance to do so. He threw her a dark look. „I´ll go and get us something to eat", Daria offered then. "Great idea", Lian agreed. She only nodded and left. "So how do things go with Jimmy ?" she asked when the wolfgirl was out of range. He growled. He didn´t want to talk about it – and she knew. "Stryker really fucked up his mind." "So what _does_ he remember ?" she asked, sitting down right next to him. "Not much. Fragments." He had heard about it. But he had been stunned when he had experienced it himself. His brother had lost memory of things one would never be able to forget for a lifetime. That might have been hard at one hand – but a tempting escape route if one couldn´t die. Regarding that point, Logan had clearly an advantage. But that advantage went hand in hand with the fact that the guy had not even been able to remember his last name if he hadn´t had his tags.

"So did you consider that memory transfer we talked about ?" Another growl answered that. The redhead had suggested that days ago. Enable Logan to share parts of Victor´s memory would maybe trigger his own mind to remember more by itself. But both of them seemed hesitant. So far, they had preferred to manage coming to terms with the past the ordinary way – by talking. The brothers didn´t fully trust each other, and Victor hadn´t been to keen on even meeting Logan during the first days. But as the situation got more relaxed with every day Lian recovered, they had somehow managed to at least try.

She realized that he hadn´t answered her question, but watched her rubbing the back of her neck absently. "You´re alright ?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah. Just a headache." He threw her a disapproving look. "Turn around." She knew there was no use to contradict. She squealed softy when he started to massage the pain out of her muscles. "You really overdid", he reproached her. "Stop lecturing me", she replied. "Bad enough that Jeff will blame me for that for the rest of my life!" She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pain he caused, knowing that enduring this now would make her feel better later on.

"So tell me about the girl", she suggested, changing the topic. He stopped in his tracks for a moment, but silently continued the torture after a moment. "Come on!" she said, shaking her head in disapprove. She reached out for his mind, taking the advantage of skin contact and at the same time being able to avoid his eyes as she had turned his back to him.

She smiled when she had found what she was looking for. He growled, only causing her smile to widen. The man was fuckin´ sensitive for every psychic approach. For a feral, that was even more astonishing than for other humans or mutants. "You should pay her a visit", she suggested. "You´ve been here with me for weeks now. I am safe." She searched for the memory of her – that was more difficult than catching his feelings. He combined more things than ordinary people to keep a picture of her in his mind. Her scent. The small sounds of her movements and breathing, the touch of her skin against his. It made the picture sharp for him, but - as she was unused to these additional perceptions - blurred for her. Then her eyes narrowed. Catching one of his hands with her own, she half turned to him. „You haven´t told her!" she suddenly accused him. He didn´t need to answer that. Guilt flooded her mind. She scanned through his easily – realizing that he had not only refused to tell the woman about this particular job, but hadn´t contacted her ever since. "Oh guy", she sighed. "This is bad." "Stay out of my head", he snarled. "Too late", she whispered. "You´re really a blockhead, you know ?" "This is none of your fuckin´ business!" He got up. "This got my business the moment you left her to guard me that night – and every fuckin´ night since then – not even telling her you´re alright!" "No reason to tell her!" he hissed. "Why for heaven´s sake not ?" she asked. Then she got it. "God Victor, what _did_ you tell her ?" "Nothing!" he barked. "No reason to put her in danger." It felt like a weak attempt to defend himself, even for him, but he was at the same time wondering why he tried to do so at all. "As if getting involved with you would ever be safe for anybody!" she answered calmly. He cocked his head, his stare dark with anger. "Don´t even try", she advised him. "It needs a little bit more nowadays to scare me!" She was used to worse – and able to take care of herself. She sat back. "Is she daft, man ? Just good enough to warm your bed ?" she asked, sounding curious, contended to feel anger rise in him immediately. She already knew that he considered that girl of his as smart at least. His eyes narrowed now. He flashed the tip of a fang. She only shook her head. "Thought so. Don´t be a goddamn idiot! Why not telling her ? I´d bet _she_ considers _you_ every day. Why not letting her share in ? Why keeping her in suspense ?"

He remained silent, but she caught up anyway. Whoever was after her would be after her bodyguard as well – and by that after everybody connected to any of them. In fact, she knew the enemy, though not the reasons for that by now. He had killed that man´s brother. He was definitely on top of the hit list, too. But if that girl was in any way similar to herself, she mused that she would at least have wanted to know that she was in danger. She turned impatiently. "You men are sometimes such unbelievable morons", she stated heartily. "In some ways you´re really like Jeff!" she said, referring to the killer mutant she had recently married. "I didn´t ask you for your damn opinion!" he snarled. She shrugged, unimpressed. "I only wonder sometimes who´s the bigger idiot of you two."

"You got somebody looking after her ?" she asked after a moment. This time, he answered at least with a nod. She reached once more out for his mind and he allowed her access, again not sure why he did it.

* * *

It was around midnight when his cell phone rang. It woke Nova who had fallen asleep on the couch. She struggled to get into an upright position, noticing Daria and Victor checking through the latest reports her contacts had sent her that got up, answering the call. He listened for a moment to the voice on the other end, then swore vilely, snapping the cell phone shut. He slammed his fist that hard down to the table besides him that the wood creaked protestingly. "Trouble ?" she asked. "No!" he answered, but his agitation told her clearly otherwise. She could almost see the struggle inside of him. The urge to leave and take care of that girl against the loyalty towards her and the resulting wish to stay.

"Go and settle this", she said. She raised one hand in a firm gesture when he tried to contradict. "I insist."


	13. Promises and flattery

Logan looked up in surprise. He hadn´t expected to meet his brother at this time somewhere around this part of the mansion. "What´s up ?" he asked. The older one answered with a growl. "I need a car. _Now_." Logan shrugged. "Not a problem. But what the hell for right now?" "Got to take care of something", he answered. "Need a hand ?" the younger one asked.

* * *

A cell phone rang. "What the…" Logan looked around – watching his brother nestling one out of some pocket. The old man surprised him.

Victor answered. "Quit joking!" he muttered after a moment. A female´s voice answered something. "Stay there – and goddamnit, _keep an eye on her_!" he snarled, ending the call and putting the phone back into his pocket.

"You let somebody observe her ?" Logan asked, stunned. He only snarled. "The girl´s got the hang of getting herself hurt", he muttered.

„Where the hell are we ?" "Open your eyes, will you!" Victor growled, wondering what had him take his brother with him. They had just stopped in front of what looked like an old industrial complex – one of the halls housing the largest disco around town. "Are we getting in ?" Logan asked, glancing at the neon sign above the door. "Soon", Victor growled. He disappeared for some moments between the cars, then signalled Logan to follow. He had forced the door of a car open and handed Logan some piece of clothing. "What…" "Take it. I want this done quickly." Logan nodded, taking in the girl´s scent. After a moment, he handed the jacket back. "Let´s go."

They had just entered the dark entrance hall when an astonishingly good looking woman in a kind of too short dark dress approached them. Logan recoiled, snarling. Mystique and Victor ignored it. "Where is she ?" Victor snapped. "Lower level. Come on."

She led them to a balustrade from where they were able to overview the huge dancefloor beneath them.

"There." They looked down to the appointed direction, over the crowd on the dancefloor, moving to the dull rhythm of the bass. Logan was able to hear Victor´s enraged snarl despites the noise blasting out of the oversized speakers.

Their bodies moved in the rhythm of some dark wave song, twitching according to the slow and thick bass beats. They were entangled in a tight embrace, her back pressed against her dancing partner´s chest, their hips moving in the same smooth movement. She slowly brought one hand up, sliding her fingertips over her belly and up her arm and shoulder. The other one´s hand followed hers, fingertips teasing hot skin, their fingers finally tangling up in the air. Their hips met, bodies convulsing to another turn in the music. For a second, she put her head back, listening to something whispered into her ear. Her weirdly painted face looked spookily pale. The flashing spots wrapped them in a staccato of light and darkness. Strobe lights flickered. Logan grimaced, dazed for a second.

Victors grip around the rail in front of him tightened. "Aren´t they delicious", Raven stated. The older feral threw her a gloomy look. "You can have the blonde one, darling." She only smirked. He nodded to her. An instance later, she had disappeared into the crowd.

Sethra squealed, completely taken by surprise when he dragged her out of Donna´s arms. She stared at his eery looking appearance, flashing in the strobe light´s flicker. Then she almost fell, stumbling over her own feet when he suddenly forced her to follow, roughly clearing a way threw the crowd around. She barely managed to reach out and grab Donna´s hand in order not to lose her.

Half the way out, she realized that another guy was with them. Whereas Victor´s usual black clothes had fitted in, though if only by accident this time, the guy´s worn out blue jeans and the white tank under the biker jacket stood out a little awkward. The guy looked a little puzzled, but managed somehow to stay on their heels.

Victor shoved her out to the parking lot and out of the sight of the doormen. "Hey, man, whatever you´re up to…" Logan started. "Stay out of this!" Victor barked. He glanced at the confused looking blonde besides his brother. "We´re back in five minutes. Get into the damn car."

They watched them disappear, heading for the car.

"Wow", Donna whispered. "Romeo looks pissed." Logan only threw her a dark look.

Victor more smashed then shoved her against the car. "You´re crazy ?!" she hissed. He slapped her so hard that the car in her back was the only reason she stayed upright. She tasted blood. "Are _you_ insane ?" he barked. "To come _here_ ? Do you have a _death wish_, girl ?!" She cautiously touched her bursted lip. "There was no danger at all - ´til _you _appeared!" "Don´t tell me you didn´t know what kind of people meet here!" The disco was a regular meeting point for large parts of the militant anti human groups. She stared at him. "What the hell you´re talking about ?!" The words came slightly slurred. He only growled. "Oh, I am sorry", she whispered then, the heavy shadowed eyes half closed. He somehow suspected her of mocking. "Of course I would have asked your permission to come here…" His growling became more threatening. "If you wouldn´t have just _disappeared _weeks ago!" she suddenly yelled. Her jaunty tone made him want to slap her again. "What the hell you´re doing here ?" he asked, slowly realizing the whole weird situation. "It´s Donna´s birthday, asshole! Thanks for ruining _hers_, too!" "Have you any idea how dangerous this place is for little human bitches like you ?!" he barked. "I have no fuckin´ idea, as you´re dickhead never tellin´ me fuckin´ anything!" she yelled. "This is …" "I don´t give a goddamn shit!" she interrupted him. "I am so _sick _of your goddamn top secret mutant shit! The only thing I really got by now is that it usually spoils my fun!" She was used to her giving him impertinent answers, but that were simply to much cuss words at once – even for her. "You´re drunk", he stated, sounding disgusted. She only shrugged. "Jealous ?" she spat.

"Where´s the key ?" he asked. She only stared at him, not catching up with that abrupt change of topic. "The fuckin´ key, Seth!" He slid his hands over the pockets of her trousers, growling again at getting a closer look at her close fitting and definitely too revealing dress. "You look like a whore." "Great", she hissed. "I feel like one, too." He found the keys finally. "Get in!" he commanded, shoving her roughly towards the passenger´s door.

Logan at the other end of the parking lot suddenly regretted to be able to hear them. Victor had never had a knack for handling women and was just proving it again right now. He sighed. "What ?" the girl besides him asked, watching him suspiciously. "You´re able to hear what they´re saying ?" she asked. He nodded, frowning. "And what _are_ they saying ?" Donna asked impatiently. Logan turned to her. "Happy birthday, darling."

Victor left it to his younger brother to get along with the other girl when they arrived at Sethra´s house. He grabbed her upper arm, forcing her to the entrance door. She promptly tripped over a step. "Hopeless piece of crap!" he cursed. He opened the door, pushing her forward. Donna and Logan followed. "Was it necessary to beat her ?" Logan asked. "Mind your own business!" the older one growled. "There´s a guestroom down the hall", he rumbled. He watched Sethra staggering for a moment at the foot of the stairs. "Just get yourself comfortable."

She sat on the edge of the bed like an abandoned child. She tried to untie her boots, but bending over made her feel sick immediately. "Good god." He cut impatiently through the laces, pulling the boots from her feet. "Lay back." "Bathroom first", she muttered. He growled. "Fine, go. And wash your face, for God´s sake!" She realized blurrily that he really overstrained heaven´s help tonight. "Fuck you", she muttered.

When she didn´t return, he finally followed her, cursing under his breath.

Her hands rested against the edges of the sink, her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror. She looked sick. He smelled tears. He snatched the washing cloth out of the sink and turned the cold water on, forcing here to do a step back. He cautiously pressed the drained piece of cloth against her swollen lip. "Goddamn bitch", he muttered, quite aware of the fact that he himself had caused that damage. Avoiding his eyes, she bent forward against his chest. "I thought you left", she whispered. "Again." The scene made him feel quite uncomfortable, but he figured that it was just meant to do so. After a moment, she straightened – or at least tried to. "How did you even know I was there ?" she asked. "And who the hell is _the guy_ downstairs ?" Ignoring her first question, he answered the second. "He´s my brother." Her head came up. "Your… ?" "Jimmy." She stared at him in disbelief. "How the…" She slid the back of her hand over her eyes. "I don´t understand." "There was some trouble at the docks…at that fair", he muttered. Her eyes widened – with half the black mascara and eyeshadow smeared over her cheeks, quite an effect. "What about that ?" she whispered. „Don´t tell me you were _involved_." He started to say something, but she interrupted him. "And don´t think you´ll get away with one of your bad excuses this time!" "I was involved", he admitted. "And I met Jimmy there." She sighed. "That's exactly the kind of coincidence I don´t believe in", she muttered.

She tried in vain to remember when the fair incident had exactly happened. "What happened ?" she asked. "Where _were_ you ?" Her fingers clenched, grabbing his tanktop. "You really didn´t know that that club is a hideout for the brotherhood and the anti human league ?" "For _what_ ?" Another sigh followed that. "Man, I have no fuckin´ idea what you´re talking about. I am not properly informed about the stuff going on between the mutant and human parties. I never was." She slowly relaxed under his hand caressing her neck. "Maybe it´s time to get some update", she muttered.

"How did you know I was there ?" she insisted to know then. "If you´re that afraid that I´d be in danger, how…" Her voice suddenly broke. She sheer thought of it made her flinch. "You were safe", he stated quietly. "If you were there…" Why hadn´t he let her know then ? He wouldn´t have needed to call her or to show up in person. There would have been a hundred ways he would have been able to let her know by. "I wasn´t around. And it would have been too dangerous to contact you." "And it wasn´t too dangerous to let me walk around without even knowing that I am in danger ?" she asked, obviously disbelieving him. He felt himself getting quite annoyed by her questions. "Go to bed!" he suggested.

That was the last thing she had him expected to say. "How would you know I was there ?" she insisted, following him to the bedroom. She was obviously not that tipsy. Or not anymore. He didn´t answer. "Tell me, Victor!"

When he turned to her, his eyes were dark with anger. He grabbed her wrists. The force he did it with made her bode ill. "If I ever find you again in a place like that, you´ll get a beating you´ll never forget." She started to answer, but he cocked his head, signalling to her that he hadn´t finished yet. "If I ever find you somewhere outside dressed like that again, I am gonna lock you in a fuckin´ cellar without any daylight and clothing ´til you learned to _behave_." She had another try but didn´t get a chance to speak again. "If I ever catch you like that with a _guy_, I´m gonna let him bleed to death and make you watch it and don´t think I´ll be stupid enough to kill you after that." She opened her mouth again but he only shoved her against the locker behind her, pinning her wrists left and right at the level of her face. "If you don´t stop contradicting me, I´m gonna break one of your fingers after another ´til you do!" he roared.

This time, she waited a few seconds. Then looked up to him. "You´re done with your flattery ?" she asked, at the same time softly pressing her wrists against his grip. To her surprise, he let his hands drop. She slipped out from between him and the locker. Then turned her back on him and started to undress. "Go ahead!" he challenged, knowing only too good that she tried hard to bite back an answer. She stopped in her tracks. She had just pulled her shirt over the head, revealing the bloody tattoo on her shoulder. The bloody tattooed scratches looked quite real in the dim light of the small lamp on the nightstand. "If you ever leave me again like that, you´ll never get into my bed again." He stared at her back, stunned for a moment. "As if you had any say in that matter", he whispered. She remained silent, wise enough not to prolong that talk, but she guessed that he got the message. He might be able to force her, but not able to force her to give things willingly – that was exactly the point.

She absently massaged her wrists for a moment, hearing him moving around behind her. They had done this just too many times before. He didn´t even want to quarrel – he was just angry, maybe not even exactly knowing why, and found no way to get rid of that. He noticed that she had lost weight. "Have you been eating anything lately ?" She hesitated for a moment. She was far too tired to quarrel further. _Fuckin´ obvious. _She wasn´t in the mood to try and hide it. He started to get rid of his own clothes. "Ask me again in 10 hours", came the flat reply. "What the hell happened ?" His tone grew angrier again. That was too much. Her sight blurred and she closed her eyes. There she was in the middle of her personal nightmare – standing there letting the guy watch her cry. She took a deep breath and tried without any success to steady her voice. "It happened that I thought _you´d Ieft me_." She had yelled the last words. Now she just stood, waiting for him to explode or to leave, disappear or beat her up again as he couldn´t bear her little drama. Putting pressure on him would send a man like him to rout. She just had had him back for twenty minutes and was up to screw the whole thing. She closed her eyes, feeling more tears rising, suddenly wishing to be far away from this place.

Muttering another unspeakable curse under his breath, he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her close to peel her out of the rest of her clothes.

He got lost of his own ones and forced her to bed somehow. He might never have been an expert around handling women, but there was one thing even he knew - there was no "right" way to handle them when crying. No matter which one you would choose, it would always be wrong. He hadn´t even any idea if she was crying out of anger, rage or relief. She was half drunk and obviously dead tired. He had rarely seen here cry before and it slowly dawned to him that this was possibly not because she had rarely done it since this relationship had started.

She calmed down eventually, but took her time.

He cursed her for the whole dispute. Pigheaded cheeky bitch. He would have silenced other people before they could even start provoking him and wondered again why he let this girl shout at him. He closed his eyes, listening to her steadying breathing – realizing that he had missed her.


	14. Dawn

Back on track, I was corrected by a friend regarding my time lines and the game chapter - due to my obviously lacking knowledge of the US school system, I mixed up high school and college, I think - I have to admit, it would have been quite surprising if Sethra had lost her maidenhood while still at high school, but at the age of 19 ;-) - so thanks for the hint and sorry !

* * *

It was early in the morning when she woke for the first time. Her eyes burned and there was a light headache – a small memory of drinking too much the night before. She shuddered. Somebody had opened the damned window widely – nights were not _that_ warm!

It was then when she realised that there was an impatient freak at her back, waiting for her to return to consciousness.

She enjoyed the feeling of him behind her for a moment. Usually, she woke alone, as he usually left in the early hours of the morning. She hadn´t had the chance to fall asleep knowing him around, either, for the last weeks. She didn´t want to spoil the moment.

Well, his intentions were quite clear. She moaned, trying to escape his approach. He showed no mercy. Finally she managed to slip out of his grip and turned around. "I need a shower", she stated. "You need a good beating", came the grumbling answer. He seemed quite relaxed, watching her lazily. She had a good idea of how trashy she must look. She covered his hand with hers, patting it. "You know", she said, avoiding eye contact, "I missed you too." Growling, he decided to give her a ten minutes head start.

She was not surprised when he followed her. If she had let him, he would have taken her right there under the steadily downcoming stream of hot water. "Hey", she complained blearily, when he was on his best way to manhandle her into capitulation. "Stop playing hard-to-get, girl." Things wouldn´t take that long after another five weeks – she should know. She made a small sound of resignation. "Always the romantic, aren´t you." "Always the drama queen", he shot back. She relaxed, observing water trickling down his well muscled body, getting hot. She was still ashamed of last night´s outbreak, but felt quite relieved on the other hand. "Shut up and bring me back to bed", she murmured.

He chuckled. "No." She raised an eyebrow. "There are things to take care off first", he told her, his tone promising – but bad things. He forced her to turn her back to him and reached out for the soap.

She squealed, squinting her eyes, when he soaped her face. She stopped resisting – there was no use - and relaxed slightly when she was allowed to rub the rests of makeup from her face on her own. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate that war paint ?" he asked. "Spare me your complaints." She had had enough of them last night. She remembered his words and begged silently that he would never find out about Cameron kissing her. His threat had just confirmed what she had mused he´d do to both of them. She sighed softly. After these weeks on her own, Cameron had sent her a message the day before, letting her know that he was back and fine and that he would call her as soon as he could. Only hours later, Victor had appeared out of nowhere like some kind of avenger, claiming his prey. Life could be a bitch sometimes. But she had her guys back.

"What´s in your mind ?" The for once soft sounding words brought her back to the present. "You had somebody spying on me, didn´t you." He growled. He wasn´t willing to talk about that right now. "I hope not that swords guy." He suppressed the urge to grimace. That would have been like setting the fox to keep the geese. He knew that he was one of a handful of people who could really trust Wade – with everything but women. "You´re not going to tell me ?" she asked. When he still remained silent, she shrugged. _Fine._ She wouldn´t let him get away that easily this time, but there was time enough to press the matter later on. For now, she turned to him. He looked like he always did, but she enjoyed eyeing him up and admiring his physique for a moment, water trickling down his skin, only underlining every single muscle visible. She pressed herself softly against him. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed feeling him close to her – him just being there. To her surprise, he barely moved for some moments.

Concentrating like that on his body was just mind blowing. She opened her eyes again and got up to her tiptoes to place a kiss on the side on his collarbone. She was not tall enough to really kiss him if he didn´t let her. For now, she didn´t care. She let her hands wander, over his chest and shoulders, down his arms. What a man. It sometimes made her wonder that a guy like her former boyfriend had ever turned her on. Revelling in smutty thoughts for a moment, she wondered what kind of guy would ever turn her on if this one ever left her.

Keeping her eyes averted, she let her hands slip down his hands and to his hips. Softly biting her lower lip, she reached out for him. She grinned, glad that he wouldn´t see it. The guy felt good, even just that way. Her intimate touch caused a low growl – one of anticipation. She tightened her grip a little, carefully. Therein lay the art – she wanted to turn him on, not to make him rape her.

The conscious part of her mind told her not to stray from that track. Unfortunately, her mind didn´t got asked.

She got down to one knee after slowly tracing a line down his chest and belly with her mouth. Feeling a shiver running down _his_ spine for once gave her a sudden unexpected feeling of rarely tasted power. She hesitated for a moment, granting him the thrill of anticipation he hopefully felt.

He held his breath for a moment, not even realizing. Then felt her lips and tongue against him. Out of reflex, he grabbed a handful of her hair.

The damn broad caught him off his guard every time she went down on him – which she did painfully rarely. Well, maybe he had to blame only himself for that as she just rarely got the chance to take action at all. He should really grant her more space for that.

She felt him grab her hair, but didn´t stop her doings. She could feel him struggle, fight the wish to force her back every time she withdraw. At the same time, it would have spoiled the thrill of not knowing what her next move and touch might be like. She took the time to appreciate the irony in this. Here she was, down on her knees, where he would at least pretend that she belonged – and at the same time in a stronger position of dominance over him than ever. Savoring the thrill of discovering how easily that scaring guy of a brute could be tortured.

He caught her a short while later halfway across the bed, getting grip of her ankle and forcing her beneath him. "Now you´re not longer that perky, huh ?" He slid a large hand down the back of her thigh and let it rest under her knee. She almost trembled with anticipation. He liked the fact that at least for these moments, it made her keep her mouth shut. She only softly muttered his name. Her eyes were dark with lust now. He pinned her there, one arm still resting under the bend of her knee, and sank into her.

She slightly relaxed when he granted her an instant to rest. He softly moved in her, causing another moan. "You´re a bastard", she whispered, only making him invade her deeper again. He rocked harder against her. "I´ll make you pay!" he whispered, grabbing her hips to keep her close while he straightened up his upper body. "What for this time ?" she muttered under her breath. He moved forward, roughly. "For your insolence." She gasped. He repeated the movement. "For your stubbornness." He blinked for a moment, struggling to hold off. For the fuckin´ livin´ hell she had sent him through minutes before. His next stroke caused her to moan again. Every moment brought him closer to his climax now. He watched her, still on her back and not longer able to touch his chest or arms now, arching her back and thereby her hips and lower body against him. He plunged into her more violently than originally intended and she sharply bit her lower lip. Goddamn it, for feeling home.

He almost buried her under his weight when he finally relaxed. For some minutes, he blocked out everything around, turning to his side, taking her with him. She was in tears again, maybe out of physical _and _emotional relief now. He hoped not that much out of pain. It seemed badly necessary, so he let her.

After spending quite intense weeks with Nova – Lian, for him -, he felt stunned by the completely different feel of the woman next to him. They were similar in some ways. They both looked through him. They both didn´t care for his roughness. But he slowly realized the difference.

Lian Mae was a class five. Highly psychically gifted. Able to enter his head easily. Maybe she was even able to control his mind. She _knew_ him. His moods, his thoughts, his past. She relied on him as a bodyguard without the smallest doubt. Still, back when they had gotten involved with each other years ago, she had feared him somehow. To be more precise, she had always trusted him with her life – but never with sex. She had been scared every single time he had bedded her. Fearing he´d lose control.

The girl right next to him wasn´t psychic, not even any kind of mutant at all. She couldn´t read his mind. He kept her shut out from most of his life. The only things she could do were think, figure, guess.

She didn't know. She had no certainty.

Realization came slowly, but with stunning force.

She trusted him. Stupid thing, his mind screamed.

He still shared a deep relationship with that class five girl he had left at Xavier´s mansion. She was probably the person who knew him best, the only one who had ever come probably as close as Jimmy. They respected each other, cared for each other. But she had never matched for him as a lover. He might not have realized that back then. But he did now.

Sethra´s sobs got weaker, quieter. She passed slowly out to sleep. He watched her, pondering.


	15. Alright

_You're everywhere I go  
And everybody knows  
To love you is to be part of you  
I pay for you with tears  
And swallow all my pride_

**_Madonna – Beautiful stranger_**

* * *

Victor entered the kitchen, following the flavour of fresh coffee – and hers. She had already dressed, as they still had visitors, he mused. She looked strained, but the way she moved and smelled told him that she was a much more relaxed now. She filled a cup for him and handed it over. He touched the still swollen edge of her lip carefully before he took the coffee. He didn´t say it, but she knew that it was the silent question if she was alright. She only sent him a short smile as an answer. She was still tired – but better. She returned to the open backdoor, glancing around the garden. Mornings were already colder right now and this one was windy. He mused that she shouldn´t stand there, her hair still wet from the latest shower, only dressed in faded trousers and a tanktop. "Close the damn door, will you." She finally closed it, sighing. Then she turned to him, leaving the cup on the table on her way, and returned straight back into his arms. It took him by surprise, but he reacted as automatically to it as she had come over to him. His free hand found its way up her neck and into her hair. For another moment, he was stunned. For some weird reason, this time, the time they had been separated for let him notice clearly all the small things that had turned into habits long ago. It amazed him how easily that had happened – and how unnoticed by him. She felt warm and relaxed and contended to him in a way that made him grin wolfishly, and he let himself get entangled in some more kissing. He knew her good enough by now to know that she would press him later on for answers regarding certain matters, but for now, she was obviously not in the mood to do so.

They hadn´t spend too many mornings together, as he usually left in the middle of the night. It made him suddenly realize that there lay a surprising comfort in that kind of quiet mornings. In a weird kind of way, it reminded him of the all-embracing silence that spread out over everything after a battle. Though this scenery right here was surely much less bloody and a lot more comfortable.

Sethra felt still wrecked and somehow fooled. There were things that made her feel quite uneasy and they would have to talk about – if he would like it or not. There were things which still enraged her. Still, the mere fact of his return had brought her a relief that had been enough to make all damage good. She was not even that angry that he had beaten her again, though she considered that as possibly fatal for her. Right now, she refused to think about it.

Somebody cleared his throat behind them.

Logan at least realized that he was looking at something quite weird.

He had no idea what kind of women his brother had favoured back then. He couldn´t name any details for having a bad feeling about Victor around women. But some voice at the back of his head told him clearly that it was best to keep him away from everything female around. He hadn´t witnessed anything that would have confirmed that bad feeling during the last weeks at the mansion – well, at least no real physical threats or attacks. But the feeling had stayed and he cursed himself that he had again not followed his instincts. Ignoring the own instincts was probably the biggest mistake one could make when dealing with a fellow like his brother - Logan mused that he should have known that the guy might beat her.

So he had been ready to interfere at least if the guy was up to worse. He hadn´t needed any oversensitive hearing to witness their argument. That had been the night´s second surprising discovery after the fact that she had still followed him home willingly even after he had beaten her – she hadn´t hesitated to quarrel, but merely insisted on it. Reconsidering, he mused that it had not been the second, but the third big surprise – it simply stunned him that the two of them obviously shared some kind of most normal and simple home.

Well, he had heard them quarrel as well as make peace afterwards. The atmosphere as well as their scents told him clearly that they both felt quite relaxed now. In fact, he hadn´t seen Victor in any state close to the current during the last weeks. The older feral had wrapped one arm around her, his hand resting possessively on her ass. Well, the property situation looked quite clear anyway. The fresh marks he had left all over her neck and shoulders as well as the mark his slap had left caused a sting of disgust in the younger one; the only half hidden tattoo on the girl´s shoulder only added to that. Logan knew quite good about the animalistic strength of his own passion, but his acceptance of that ended exactly where it would do any harm to Jean.

The girl looked small and a little chubby, the short hair and military dress making her look a little boyish, though her curves where everything else than that. Logan wondered if Victor had gotten involved with a merc fellow. It might possibly be the reason she behaved so relaxed around his brother.

She half turned to him, still caught in his brother´s embrace. "Good morning!" she greeted him, struggling to break free of Victor´s grip. He let her finally go, though not without a low growl.

"Coffee ?" she asked, skipping formalities. He nodded. She filled another cup and handed it to him. Victor had been right – they didn´t look quite alike. For her, the most surprising thing was that the younger one´s mutation was not as obvious as Victor´s -at least, at first look not obvious at all. "I am Sethra", she stated belatedly. "Logan", he answered. She raised an eyebrow. "Wasn´t it Jimmy ?" He threw his older brother a dark look. "It used to be. Nowadays, I feel more comfortable with Logan." Victor wrinkled his nose at that comment. As if there would be any use in denying the past.

Logan eyed her up critically and couldn´t suppress the question. "You´re alright ?" It caused a deep growl from his brother immediately. She smiled mischievously, looking up to him for a moment. She realized another difference between them. While Victor looked kind of clinical most of the time, Logan seemed merely to burst with half hidden feelings. "Yeah." She had answered without any hesitation, her voice clear and light. She glanced around to Victor. "So tell me how you two met!" she encouraged them.

It never came to that, as Donna entered the kitchen then. Ruefully smiling to her, Sethra handed her a cup of coffee as well. The tall blonde eyed her friend up for a moment, putting one finger under Sethras chin to admire the bruised lip. She threw Victor a look that dark and reproachful over Sethra´s shoulder that Logan started to wonder what he had gotten himself into. It only caused Sethra to smile and Victor to stare. Logan suddenly suspected his brother to be as surprised as he himself was. "You´re alright, darling ?" the blonde woman asked. Sethra only chuckled.#

* * * * * * * * *

Donna hugged her for a moment when Sethra brought her to the door. "I still don´t understand why you let this guy treat you like this", she stated. Sethra gave her a weak smile. "Just give it some more time", she answered. "More time for more bruises ?" the other one asked. "I am sorry about last night", Sethra answered. Donna waved one hand. "No need to. I think we had already had our fun when Romeo showed up there. Just take care of yourself, girl, and kick that fucker´s ass, will you ?" She curled her lips. "You silly prone are even happy to have him back, aren´t you." "This is really not what you think it is like", Sethra affirmed. Donna only sniffed. "That´s what they all say." She pulled the friend close for another hug. "Call me!" she insisted. Sethra nodded.

* * * * * * * * *

"You got the day off tomorrow, too ?" Victor asked when she returned to the kitchen. Logan had disappeared somewhere, maybe for a shower, she mused. She nodded. "Yeah. Why ?" "Pack some stuff. We´re going for a little trip", he answered. She turned to him. "Trip ? What kind of trip ? Don't you think you should at least tell me…" "For heaven´s sake, girl, shut up and get going!" She raised her eyebrows. The guy sometimes really unnerved her. They stared at each other for a moment. "Whatever", she muttered, leaving again. He growled, still unsure if this was the right thing to do. But knowing that she was damn sure curious enough to go upstairs and do as he had told her.


	16. Among friends

The short ride they took gave her, lurking around on the backseat, the chance to compare the two men at least by their looks.

Victor had been right – they didn´t look that similar. Though there were things they had undeniably in common. They were both massively built, both packed with muscles and – that was perhaps in the family, too – they both seemed to be constantly always at least a little bit grumpy. She was still tired and it took her some effort to stay awake to see where the journey went. This time, Victor hadn´t insisted to blindfold her.

"Wow!" Sethra tried hard to catch a better look at the mansion when they finally approached it. "What the hell is this place ?" None of the guys in the front answered her – well, she hadn´t expected them too. But when they had to stop in front of the huge wrought-iron gate, she read the signboard besides it.

"A _school_ ?" she asked. They had parked the car at the back of the mansion and were up to enter. She threw Victor a weird look but he didn´t answer. "March!" he only ordered. Rolling her eyes, still surprised, she followed Logan in.

The broad corridor was bright and decorated in a quite impressive elegant and old fashioned style she had always liked, though it made her feel a little bit like walking through a museum. The house was surprisingly quiet, but as it was late morning, she assumed that the pupils would be at classes now. "Hey!" A slim figured Asian looking woman came around a corner, greeting them. "Where the hell …" Victor growled, but she raised a hand in a soothing gesture. "Don´t start!" she ordered. Daria rounded the corner in that moment. Victor stared at the female feral. "I want you _with_ her, not somewhere _behind_ her !" he barked. "Calm down!" Lian Mae demanded. Victor ignored her. "Stay close !" he ordered Daria. She didn´t answer or react in any way, but Victor didn´t seem to mind. "You overdo", Lian Mae stated. "Since when do we discuss my methods ?" he snapped. They stared at each other for a moment. Lian Mae´s look fell on Sethra then. "I am Lian Mae", she said, offering her a handshake. The human woman accepted it. "Sethra", she answered. "You found yourself a real charming boyfriend", the Asian woman told her. Sethra grinned a mischievous grin the other one liked. "And you yourself a quite pedantic bodyguard, as it seems." Lian Mae smiled. "We´ll be upstairs", she told Victor. He only nodded. She waved a small hand. "I see you later then. I think Xavier is already expecting you." The two women turned to leave. Logan threw Victor a surprised look. "Is he ?" he asked.

They met another woman on their way to the school wing of the mansion, dark skinned and white haired though she couldn´t be much older than Sethra herself. She looked stunningly sexy in her tight black clothes, though she looked kind of wary right now. She introduced herself as Ororo Monroe. "I´ll join you. The professor should have time for us", she stated.

Sethra kept smiling. She didn´t have the slightest idea who she was going to meet or why, but she was really looking forward to anything right now anyway.

Charles Xavier welcomed her in the calm and warm manner Storm had seen him welcoming new people here ever since. She shook his hand, smiling. "It´s nice to meet you." "I appreciate that you found the time to join us here." She nodded, still smiling. "Well, I have to admit that I don´t know exactly why I am here today." She gave the two other men a reproachful look. Xavier gestured to them to sit down, maneuvering his wheel chair closer to the couches grouped around a low table in the middle of the room. Storm and Sethra took a seat. The guys didn´t. Sethra was used to Victor´s habits. He found himself some place behind her, towering there menacingly. Logan crossed his arms, settling down against a nearby window sill. "Well", Xavier stated, "Victor put forward the other day that you might be able to help us out." Her eyebrows came up. She shrugged. "How may I be able to do that ?" she asked. "Well, Miss Ethans, as you already know, this is a school." He smiled. "To be precise, a school for mutants. We offer them the chance to study with people of her own kind, if I may use this term, and we are taking in kids who have been threatened or abandoned – or kids who are a threat for others and themselves." She followed his words mindfully, but couldn´t get where this conversation should lead. When he had finished his explanations, she bit her lower lip, considering his words. "I see the need for this and I realize that you´re tackling a huge challenge here, Mr. Xavier." She threw Victor a confused look over her shoulder. "But I still don´t see how I should be able to help you. I mean, I´ve been a military instructor for close combat, you see, but as I wasn´t able to work in this job after an accident, I am working now with people who got injured on duty and who are convalescing." Xavier smiled politely. "Victor was so kind to tell me." She leant back, stunned, as she got the hang of this. "You see, I´ve never taught self defense to kids", she stated. Storm straightened. "Well, unfortunately, the staff member who taught self defense here left a while ago. We tried our best to replace him and as we couldn´t find someone who would fit in, we tried to replace him by ourselves. But you see, especially for the girls, having a workout with a guy like Logan just doesn´t work." Sethra nodded, considering. "I understand – but still, I have never worked with children before." "Let´s say your pupils would all be adolescents between the age of 14 and older", Xaver stated. "We teach children up from the age of 6", Storm told her. "No upper age limit. Some people find out about there mutations very late or when they are confronted with situations they never faced before." The professor cleared his throat politely. "Miss Ethans, I don´t want to appear rude, but Victor also told me that you´re facing some kind of inexplicable illness. As a part of your reward, we could offer you a quite advanced medical facility. Our staff is used to explore unknown advancements and complicated physical changes. I can´t promise any new results for you, but you might find it agreeable to let us check if we can do anything for you." "You know", she finally said", I´d have to say that I am quite surprised that he brought this up. May I ask you if all you´re pupils are mutants ?" The professor nodded. "Yes." She folded her hands in her lap. "And did Victor also tell you that I am not a mutant ?"

A moment of silence followed that.

Storm had looked up in surprise. She had somehow naturally assumed that Sethra had some kind of mutation, as they all did. Besides that, she hadn´t expected a guy like Creed to get involved with a human woman. This came as a surprise. Watching Logan for a moment, she could tell that he had made the same mistake. Obviously, he hadn´t asked her for her mutation so far – but he had never been the guy to ask others too many question, as he himself didn´t like to be asked to many of them, too. And as she knew from own experience, asking Victor anything wouldn´t usually lead anywhere. However, she realized that the professor didn´t seem to be too surprised at all.

"_Well, you see, we wouldn´t be any better than our opponents if we would categorically deny to interact__ or cooperate with humans, Miss Ethans. And assuming that you´ve been used to live with one of our kind for some time, and as both his mutation and his character surely aren't the easiest to get along with, I think your humanity won´t cause any problems for you working here. For the children, it would be an important gain to see that there are also humans who accept their mutation without any reservations." And at the same time to realize that humans can still be dangerous, though they have no kind of mutation_, she added privately. _"Exactly",_ Xavier added.

It took her a moment to realize that he hadn´t used his voice to tell her this. Well, at least, he hadn´t told her anything hearable. That fact also explained that Victor hadn´t protested against the fine humour with which the professor had described her circumstances of living. Besides that, the old man had obviously just read her thoughts. Suddenly, she smiled. "Wow", she said, impressed. The professor smiled. "Well, I´d like to propose the following – Storm may take you around, show you the place. Take your time and think about it. If you see some possibility to help us out for a while, we´d be very glad to work with you." Storm got up. "Alright then", she said. Sethra shook hands again with this elder man in the wheelchair. She liked his way to talk and his fine humour at once. Turning, she gave Victor a questioning look. "Gonna be with us ?" He shook his head. "Got to settle some stuff." She could imagine that having a tour around school was the last thing he was keen on – though the meeting with the Asian girl down the hall let that ´stuff´ appear more than suspicious. "So you´re gonna pick me up later on ?" she asked. He nodded. She turned to Ororo. "Then let´s go."

With every step, Sethra got a little more impressed. Compared to the schools she had visited – and they had surely not been the worst – this was a dream. She liked the whole building, the homelike atmosphere around. The furnishing, the equipment – everything looked quite expensive and used with care, but at the same time anything else than sterile. The met only a few children, some of them looking quite normal, some quite shockingly mutantlike, honestly spoken – those were obviously the ones whose outer appearance would make them the first victims of threats and hostility, she mused. "This is a great place", she told Storm out of an impulse. "And I like your headmaster!" Storm smiled, though she seemed still reserved. "He´s a great mentor!" she agreed. "May I ask what your mutation is about ?" Sethra asked. Storm nodded. "Sure. I am able to control the weather." "Wow." Sethra laughed. "See, the mutants I met so far, there mutations were all more …physical. I mean, there are mutants in the Army, too. But I haven´t met people with more subtile exceptional abilities, like you and the professor." She mused for a moment that she might be mistaken about that. She had possibly met other mutants, too – but had maybe never realized. Storm laughed. "Oh, we can introduce you to quite a range here!" Sethra nodded. "I just start to imagine that." "So is Logan living here with you ?" she changed topic. Storm nodded. "Well, he comes and goes." Though he had been around more than usual over the last few months and she clearly realized the reason for it. She suppressed a smile. She wouldn´t be indiscreet at this point. Sethras next question took her by surprise. "So is Victor around here regularly, too ?" Storm turned to her, raising her eyebrows. "Don´t you know ?" Sethra looked suddenly uncomfortable. "No." _And I think I should stop asking immediately_. "I thought you were somehow connected to Nova", Storm stated. Sethra´s confused look told her that this was obviously not the case. "Lian Mae", she added. "Nova." "Oh." Sethra grimaced. "No, I am not. I am only…somehow connected to Victor", she answered. Storm didn´t press the matter, but realized in surprise that she had obviously misinterpreted many things around this weird proposition about a combat trainer for the kids Creed had made some days ago.

When they returned to the starting point of their tour, Sethra realized that it had taken them at least about two and a half hours – time had passed like nothing. Ororo had told her a lot about the school while they had visited classrooms, libraries, the sports centre, the park. But they had also talked about a lot of other things woman would talk about on the day they first met and in the end, Storm didn´t seem to be as reserved as when they had started.

A red haired woman awaited them on the steps of the main entrance when they returned from the park. Storm introduced her as Dr. Jean Grey. Sethra looked at her in surprise. She was quite sure that she hadn't met that woman before, but the name… Then she remembered. "Have you ever cooperated with the Army ?" she asked. Jean looked at her in surprise. "We cooperate with them from time to time", she answered vaguely. "Why do you ask ?" Sethra frowned. "When I was on sick leave last year, as they were still checking on my seizures, I was told that my file would be sent to some specialists to be checked. I think I read your name there somewhere." In fact, Jean remembered that. "I actually remember your case", she answered. "But Victor described your seizures not very detailed. I didn´t see that connection." Sethra nodded absently, realizing that the bastards might have suspected her to be a mutant – telling her they would sent her data to this doctor for a regular check. Jean gestured towards the door. "We missed lunch, but I think we´ll still get something if we ask our cook nicely. You´re hungry ?" Sethra nodded. She hadn´t had more than that cup of coffee in the morning and an apple on the drive.

After lunch, Jean volunteered to accompany her to the guest quarters Nova used at the moment. "Just consider our offer", she suggested on the way back to the only irregularly used guest wing. "And if you wanna try, we can still check if things would work." Sethra nodded. "May I ask you something different ?" Jean nodded. "Sure." "See, I am not up on all the political stuff around the human and mutant parties and everything. I really need an update. As this is a school for mutants…" Jean smiled. "I know the perfect man to brief you", she smiled.

* * * * * *

They found Lian Mae together with Daria and Blaze at the apartment´s huge living room. The room was as elegantly furnished as the professor´s study, but not just as tidy. One look was enough to see that these people were not only here for holidays. One corner of the room served as some kind of provisory study, several tables covered by computers, a printer, documents and other technical stuff. "Victor wanted to check something out with Jimmy", Lian Mae told them. Jean raised her eyebrows. The two telepath´s threw each other an amused look. "But stay with us ´til he´s back!" Lian Mae offered to Sethra, then turned to Blaze. "Would you mind checking out where he is ?" she asked. Blaze frowned, but left. "So we´ll see us for dinner ?" Jean asked. Lian Mae nodded. "Fine!" The redhead turned to Sethra. "If there´s anything you need, let us know." "Thanks." "You´re welcome." Jean nodded to them and left.

Lian Mae gestured towards the couch. "Take a seat. I think they´ll be back in some minutes." She half turned to the woman behind her. "This is Daria, by the way." Daria gave only a short nod. "My bodyguard." Lian Mae sat back. Sethra noticed that she looked somehow tired. "I am very sorry that Victor didn't tell you about all this", Lian Mae said. Sethra felt uncomfortable. She had no idea what this woman knew or didn´t or what she herself was supposed to say or not. "If I had known, I would have tried to convince him to contact you earlier." Sethra suppressed a sigh. The morning had really been straining and surprising enough and the flood of new information and the lack of sleep caused a bad headache right now. "Victor doesn´t tell me much about his work in general", she answered, realizing too late that she might have answered a little bit too frankly. But Lian Mae only nodded. "I thought so. But as you witnessed that incident at the blockhouse, I had mused that you would at least know about that." Sethra finally failed to suppress and sighed. It seemed that she had now finitely to face the fact that the list of things she knew about was much shorter than the list of things she didn´t know. "So that house was yours ?" she asked. Lian Mae nodded. "My husband´s, yes. If I had had any idea that they would try to attack there, I would never have told Victor to use it. I understood that you could escape unharmed, at least." Sethra touched absently the scarred wound on her upper arm. "More or less, yes." "So you have been with him for quite a while now, haven´t you ?" Sethra nodded. Lian Mae captured a strand of black hair that kept falling into her eyes. "Excuse my curiosity", she said, smiling. Sethra´s eyes went from her to Daria and back. It had been only a short glance, but Lian Mae understood that the woman felt uncomfortable to talk about these things not only to her as a most complete stranger, but in addition in the presence of another uninvolved stranger. She threw Daria a short look herself, a quiet request to grant them some privacy. She herself trusted the girl completely, but she wanted Sethra to feel comfortable at the same time. Daria understood, but stayed. Lian Mae frowned. "Would you… " "You heard him." The woman´s hoarse voice made Sethra look at her again. It was the first time she heard the female feral speak. Her tone made clear that there was no room for a discussion.

"So…how long have you been…working with him ?" Sethra asked. Lian Mae curled her lips for a moment. "I have known him since I was a child." The woman smiled. "He was a friend of my father. We didn´t met for some years after my father died, but again when I got politically active." "Don´t get me wrong", Sethra said,"but I am not very familiar with the political stuff. Are your political activities the reason you have the bodyguards around ?" Lian Mae smiled. "Partly. I am not politically active any more. Or let´s say, not officially. I realized years ago that I couldn´t achieve much that way. So I started to work in the underground. Besides that, I married the wrong man. He´s wanted and quite worried something could happen to me for that reasons, too." Sethra frowned. Remembering the squad of mercs attacking them at the woods back then, these concerns didn´t seem that unreasonable. "I always believed that Victor´s main activities lay not especially in personal _security_." It caused another smile from Lian Mae. "Well, as far as I know, I´ve been the only one he ever guarded. I asked him for it as I wanted to partake in a meeting of mutant scientists some weeks ago. I have Daria and some other people around regularly, and normally, that´s more than enough. But that meeting was as enticing as risky. I had to minimize the risk." "You wanted to pile it on", Sethra muttered. "Excuse me ?" Lian Mae asked, surprised. "That´s what your… messenger said." "Blaze ? So you witnessed that, too ?" Nova chuckled. She wondered how many other people had known about the existence of this woman and had somehow forgotten to mention it to her. She and Victor had separated more than fifteen years ago and the whole affair hadn´t taken longer than some months. Still, people seemed to be more than shaky around their former and current relationship.

"What exactly happened that night ?" Sethra asked. Lian Mae sighed. "We got attacked. To be honest, we don´t even know why by now though we´re working on that. We – Jean as well as I and a handful of other telepaths – we´re invited to a somehow mysterious meeting. Thomas McTaggard, a scientist who´s done a lot of successful research on that field, had invited us. He´s a former anti human activist and was accused of illegal research and tests on humans decades ago, so he had to go underground. I would normally definitely deny to work with him. But he´s said to have done quite important research around telepathic abilities for the right reasons and by the right rules for years now, and the results he allegedly wanted to share could have been so important…" She sighed again. "Well, it was a trap, and Jean and the other´s of Xavier´s people walked into it as well as we did. We know that at least two of the other invited telepaths have been kidnapped. We just don´t know exactly why." "So you don´t belong to Xavier´s people ?" Sethra asked. This time, Lian Mae laughed. "No. I went to school here. Charles Xavier was a great mentor and I admire his work and persistency. But I early chose a little more…" She hesitated a moment, looking for the right word. "Radical", Daria offered drily in that strange inhumane sounding voice. Lian Mae frowned, but had to agree. "Radical political orientation", she ended the sentence. "I didn´t even know for sure if the x team would show up there, as they are very careful around everything politically or morally doubtful activity – they are really concerned about their good reputation. But they did, and the attack made us comrades in arms." "So he met his brother really by accident there ?" The question had slipped Sethra before she could think about it. The Asian didn´t seem to bother. "Yes. I mean, it was to be expected that Logan would be around, but they hadn´t met in years, as far as I know, though they have been close for centuries. I don´t know all the details, but they were obviously part of some experiment decades ago. Something went wrong back then, don´t ask me what. There had been some conflict. The responsible scientists erased parts of Logan´s memory, possibly permanently. They got separated after that." She watched Sethra absently. "He doesn´t like to talk about that." "Is there actually anything he likes to talk about ?" Sethra asked sardonically, causing Lian Mae to chuckle. "I am sorry that he didn't tell you about this job. He really should have." Sethra frowned now. "He keeps telling me that it is too dangerous." Lian narrowed her eyes. "He may be right at one hand – you may be in danger, especially as you witnessed that attack up there at the Rockies. They possibly don´t know that you´re not involved in our or Victor´s activities, but things are maybe even more dangerous if they find or – or already know – that you´re his girl." To Lian´s and her own surprise, Sethra blushed at the formulation. "Is that what he calls me ?" she asked. Lian Mae smiled. "In fact, he didn´t call you anything. But I am telepathic and sometimes, the big cat grants me access." "Holy God!" Sethra said. Lian Mae laughed. "What ?" Sethra tried hard to imagine that. On one hand, she was more than curious, she had to admit. But on the other… "I am just not sure if I´d like to enter his mind", she answered. Lian Mae smiled, this time somehow mischievously. "You really wouldn´t if you could ? Wouldn´t you want to know ?" Sethra curled her lips for a moment. "I think I´d be afraid of what I might find there", she answered lowly. "You´re worried it would disappoint you ?" Sehtra sighed. "You know, there´s so much I didn't know so far…." "You´re afraid the whole thing would lose its magic ?" Lian Mae asked and Sethra wondered if this woman was already in her head. Lian Mae smiled, though mysteriously this time. Sethra reckoned to see a trace of sadness in it. "Don´t worry", the older woman said. "To him…" "They´re coming", Daria interrupted. Then the apartment´s door at the other end of the hall opened.

"Sethra, this is my sister-in-law", Lian Mae introduced them. "Caroline." The girl shook the mass of red curls. "Blaze", she corrected the older one. She grinned. "And we already know each other, though the old man didn´t introduce us." Victor ignored her, turning to Lian. "Jeff called me." "And what ?" "Let´s say he´s pissed you´re still here." "Why didn´t he call you directly ?" Blaze asked. Lian grimaced. "As she refuses to answer his calls", Victor answered the question. Blaze raised her eyebrows. "One day you should really explain to me why you two married as you obviously can´t stand each other", she commented. "You could have held your tongue", the Asian addressed the feral ill humouredly. "You asked me to guard you, not to lie for you", he only answered. She sighed. "So any messages ?" "Besides that he´s going to lock you in ´til the end of all days when he gets hold of you – no." Lian only frowned while Blaze rolled her eyes. "That gets really fucking boring by now", Blaze stated. "I mean are you not tired of his threats by now ?" Lian looked up to her, then to Victor and Sethra whom she smiled to. "That´s something you´re definitely too young to understand", she answered.

Victor gestured towards Sethra. "Come on. I´ll take you to your room." "Why don´t you take the second bedroom ?" Lian asked, gesturing slowly to the spare room opposites her own. _Or how are you going to explain to her that you´re spending your nights on my couch ? _she added mildly mentally. "I don't want to bother anybody", Sethra stated. "Don´t be ridiculous", Lian answered. "It´s only reasonable" _Why not ?_ Victor threw her a dark glance. _She is already in the thick of it, man! _she reasoned. _You brought her here! Stop acting like an idiot! _


	17. Pondering

„Say that again!"Ororo demanded. Logan shrugged. „I said she´s his girl!" he repeated grumpily. "I can´t believe this!" Ororo stated with a mixture of disgust and amazement. She turned to Xavier. "You knew that as well ?" she asked. "Well, I didn´t", the old mutant answered. "I assumed something like that though." "You didn´t check up on her ?" Logan asked sardonically. He knew that the professor didn´t want their connections used to check on people. Still, Ororo was much too distrustful to give a job to somebody who didn´t bear a close examination.

She didn´t event try to deny it. "There was not the slightest connection to any mutant we know", she answered, annoyed. "Which is not that big surprise, as she´s human!" "Well, we believed that there´s some connection to Nova and the Circle", Jean stated. "If there´s not – fine! It would have been a knock-out criterion, anyway." "She´s with _Creed_!" Ororo raged. "I would really call _that_ a knock-out criterion!" Jean sighed and turned to Logan. "Are you sure ?" Logan only threw her a dark look. "Damn sure."

Ororo made a gesture that expressed clearly that this just confirmed her point. "This is ridiculous!" she hissed. "It´s one thing to cooperate with Nova – it´s another to cooperate with _Creed_!" "We wouldn´t be cooperating with Victor", the professor softly stated. "She´s his woman – where´s the difference ?" Ororo snapped. "You know", Hank mused thoughtfully," rejecting her just because of her connection to him would lead to the reverse conclusion that you would have to refuse to work with Logan, too." That only made Storm _and_ Logan stare darkly at him. "And it seemed to me that she had barely a clue of what he´s involved in ´til he brought her here." "Well, you would have to be blind, deaf and quite naïve to misjudge a guy like him", Storm stated. "You said yourself that you liked her", Jean softly stated. "There have been other people before who had been able to provide some nice talk, you know! Creed is an _animal_ and I am not willing to trust anybody connected that close to him!" Jean cleared her throat. "Do we have the right to judge her ?" she asked softly. "Are you going to entrust our children to the care of a woman who shares the bed of a killer ?" Ororo yelled at the friend.

Suddenly, Jean looked somehow taken aback. She didn´t answer. It was easy for everybody present to read her thoughts. She herself also shared her bed with a killer – besides the fact that she was probably one herself.

Logan´s expression couldn´t be read.

Ororo bit her lip for a moment. Then sighed. "Sorry, guys. I didn´t mean …" "It´s just exactly what_ I_ meant", Jean interrupted her against her habits. "Do we of all people have the right to judge her ?"

"I think this is more about judging Sabretooth than her, no ?" Hank tossed in.

Xavier had listened to the discussion silently for a while now. Pondering. He finally spoke.

"If we are interested in her beliefs, we should probably ask her about them", he stated. Logan frowned. "Like ´Tell us about your death count, darling !` ?!" he asked. Ororo frowned. Then shifted her weight. "Sorry. I really think this is a bad idea – and I would really have liked to know about this before he brought her here." She glanced over her friend´s faces. "I didn´t mean to hurt anybody – but I am against this. And now please excuse me. I need a walk." She turned to the door. "Good night", she wished them grumpily before she left.

"She´s angry that you didn´t tell her", Logan commented after a moment, turning to Xavier. The professor smiled that mysterious smile of his. "As I said, I wasn´t sure about it myself. Victor is not the easiest person to read – sometimes." Logan gave a short unamused laugh. "Have a look at her in a little more revealing clothes than today – then there´ll be no doubt!" he commented. Jean shrugged. "I didn´t feel like she´s lying or hiding something", she said. "That was my impression, too", Xavier answered. "She seemed quite clueless regarding the current and former political situation", Hank added. "And quite clueless about the place we picked her up, from what I heard", Logan commented.

Logan sat back and reached lazily out to tickle Jean´s neck – something that – in front of the others – still made her blush immediately.

"What about you ?" she asked him.

"I still think we should see her at least fight before we try to persuade `Ro", he said.

_* * *_

For the first time in months, Victor was unable to evaluate Sethra´s mood. She had been deadly tired the night before. Looking distressed , she had for once insisted _not_ to quarrel and told him that the only thing she wanted was going to bed and sleep a night over all that. She had actually not even looked – or smelled – very angry or sad. He had granted her the space to settle her thoughts, accompanying Lian Mae to a late conference round. Sethra had been fast asleep when he had returned.

There hadn´t been time for a talk today, either. Sethra had had a long talk with Hank McCoy - basic knowledge of human and mutant relations, she had informed him later on, smiling. She had met some of the youngsters around. Had had another chance to talk to Ororo and Logan regarding their training concept and another – though short – talk with Lian Mae. When they met for dinner, she wondered where all the time had gone.

She hadn´t talked much during dinner, but listened attentively. She looked again a little tired now, but interested. If she was impatiently waiting for a chance to question him – which was what he expected her to do -, she hid it perfectly.

After dinner, Lian Mae stated that she just wanted a bath and going to bed early – by that, Victor wasn´t needed.

He closed the door of the large bedroom behind them. She kicked her boots from her feet, sighing, then yawning, glancing over the antique furniture and the huge bed. The thing looked like the dream of every eight year old girl playing princess. And she had actually felt like that the night before.

For the first time since they had arrived, they were alone with each other.

She stretched a little, rubbing the back of her neck for a moment, feeling weary. Then realized that he watched her. "What ?" she asked. He put his cell phone and some files down on a nearby dresser. "I´m surprised that you´re not already shouting at me." He sounded as if he had gotten tired of trying to avoid the unavoidable. "Oh !" She rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her hair, massaging the skin underneath for a moment. "For what ?" she asked, slightly amused. "For giving the story of my life to people I don´t know ? Dragging me to a job interview I haven´t asked for ? Letting people spy on me ?" She waved a hand. "I am surprised that you know _civilised_ people like _them_!" she told him. His expression changed abruptly but she didn´t care. "Though I slowly got an idea how a mutant must feel surrounded by all the humans out there." Though nobody around had made the smallest attempt to offend or to threaten her for her humanity – so far. She went over to the bed and threw herself across it.

"No interrogation ?" he asked. She turned to her back, looking up to the ceiling. "No interrogation", she confirmed after a moment. He went over to stare down at her. She sat up and, to his surprise, reached out to unbuckle his belt. She looked up to him. "What ? You´ll have to leave again ?" He shook his head. She nodded, continuing. Then she got slowly back to her feet to unbutton his shirt.

"You´re pregnant or something ?" Her chin came up and she stared at him. "Excuse me ?" "You´re behaving strange!" She threw him another wry look, then concentrated on the buttons again. "Well, as far as I know, I am not pregnant", she answered, smiling. "But obviously, I don´t know much, so, after these last 48 hours, I wouldn´t be surprised if I were, everybody had known for weeks, but for some mysterious reasons, nobody had told me!" He grabbed her hands, though gently. "Don´t start!" she suggested. "I just heard and saw a lot of things today and yesterday. I´ll need to sleep another night over all this." "You should consider to take that job Xavier offered you." She looked up to him again. "You know, I already _have_ a job. I mean I could to this as a sidejob, but…" "You should think about _quitting_." It didn´t sound like some advise but as an order. She raised her eyebrows. "Are you _patronizing_ me ?"

He lost patience. "You´re in fucking danger. You should really have gotten the hang on it after talking to _them_ !" She stared at him. "I can´t just turn my whole life upside down for reasons I still don´t completely understand!" She realized too late that it just happened again – they were on the best way to another fight – and it was the last thing they needed right now. She grabbed his shirt. "Take it easy!" she begged. "I am sorry. It´s just… I mean, you people are going to…_settle_ this, aren´t you ?" He nodded, though slowly. "So when ?" she asked.

He chuckled at that question, cupping her face with his hands. "So far we barely know who attacked us, girl, not to speak of _why_!" He bent his head for a long kiss. "You´ll be safe around here", he stated afterwards. "But V., I can´t just skip work and everything…" "Do you still… " "Stop!" she interrupted him harshly. "I got it by now! But I can´t just disappear!" "Then _quit_!" "_No_!" She covered one of his hands with a much smaller one. "I like that job, and I just started this! I mean, this… _stuff_ will some day be settled, I hope, and I need to earn my living somehow." "No need to worry about that", he stated. „And what the hell´s that supposed to mean ?" she asked, warily. "Means I can pull you through!" he answered roughly. For a moment, she only stared at him, unable to answer anything. She closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing her forehead – then decided to ignore that comment. She wasn´t willing to think about that particular statement right now.

"If you don´t wanna quit, take a sick leave", he suggested. "Oh come on! Not another one! Besides, what for ?" His chuckle made her hair stand on end. "If you need a reason…." "No!" she contradicted hastily, stepping back a little. "Let´s go to bed. I am fuckin´ tired." "What are you going to do ?" he asked drily. "Trying to kill me in my sleep ?" She stopped in her tracks and threw him a wry look. "I have no idea what you´re talking about", she stated. "You´re going to tell me that you are not close to freak about all that ?" She pulled her top over her head. "As if there were any use in doing that!"

She sighed, starting to strip of the rest of her clothes. "Well, if you insist on discussing things – fine ! First guess – you had a woman spy on me!" "And how would you know ?" he asked, amused. "You´re simply too jealous to let another guy tail me", she answered, grinning. "Perhaps only if the guy´s actually gay! So am I right ?" He chuckled. "Actually, there were two." He noticed contentedly that that silenced her – at least for a second.

"Is that why you have never told me anything ?" she asked teasingly after a moment. "You beat up my colleagues for accidentally working with me and _you´re_ working only with women ?" "Aren´t you going to accuse me of not trusting you ?" he asked. She shook her head. "No. You would just tell me that the observation was not because of that but as you thought me in danger." He gave a short chuckle. "Smart girl." "You know, I really hate the idea that somebody watched everything I did all day!" That sounded as embarrassed as much as annoyed. "Maybe I should have you tailed 24/7", he suggested mockingly. "Keeping an eye on you would possibly make you going straight."

He ignored her weak blow against his chest, for a short moment irritated by that whiff of guilt that had just mixed into her scent. "It was necessary", he told her. She sighed. "Don't worry", he rumbled lazily. "The ladies told me only good." "I hate you!" "Good!" She sighed. "And let me guess again– you´re not going to discuss your methods." "_Damn _right." "So why didn´t you interfere earlier ?" she asked. "I mean, they could have attacked me anywhere, couldn´t they ?"

He gave a low sound of agreement. "That special place seamed just too suspicious to be chosen by accident. Raven wondered if you had possibly been persuaded to go there. There could have been a manipulated message or call she had missed." "Raven ?" Sethra asked, tasting the sound of it. "Is that her real name or her…nickname ?" She felt still a little bit odd about the funky codenames people around used. Again he chuckled. "Raven is her real name, but she would certainly insist that her _real_ real name is Mystique. And there might have been no reason to interfere at all if you wouldn´t have chosen _that_ of all places!" She spared him and her the comment that she probably might have avoided the place if she just had _known_.

"If I hadn´t chosen especially that place", she asked lowly ,"would you have let me wait for you forever ?" She sighed. It had just slipped her. There was no use to quarrel about it.

"What about Lian Mae ?" she asked finally. "What about her ?" he asked back. "I didn´t know you work as a bodyguard", she answered. He remained silent and she found somehow the courage to say it. "There´s something going on between you and her, no ?"

The intense of his stare and the barely noticeable twitch around the corners of his mouth told her more than any spoken comment. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped within seconds about several degrees.

She found still some courage to face him.

"Tell me about it", she whispered.

"It´s a job", he answered.

She turned away from him, pretending to concentrate on folding her clothes. "I am not an idiot, you know."

He grabbed her by the neck, roughly. "I said it´s a job", he repeated firmly. "Don´t you listen ?" He grabbed her a little harder and she finally squealed a little.

"Keep pretending", she told him resolutely, rubbing the spots where his claws had scratched her skin when he suddenly released her. "But it´s obvious!" He gave a low growl. "Is it ?" His tone had changed again – right now, he at least pretended to be bored. She raised an eyebrow. "It is", she calmly stated. She sniffed.

"You know, I see the way you look at these Xavier women. Actually, it´s the same way you look at Donna. Tits and ass, nothing more." She frowned for a moment. _Pieces of meat._ In fact, he didn´t only look at them like that, but obviously enjoyed letting them feel what he thought. Blaze was a somehow different case – though she tried _so_ hard to impress him with her loose tongue and her bursting bras. He in return only treated her like a child and she surely hated him for it. With Daria, things were different again – she was a colleague – or, more likely, a conspecific. Though she didn´t dare to tell him that.

"You _like_ her", she concluded with a smile. _At least._

He didn´t show any reaction to her, but sighed innerly. So much about her not getting into his head. "And what kind of way you think I look at you ?" he enquired, mainly to distract her.

The following silence took a moment too long. He realized that he had most probably hit a nerve.

"Are you jealous ?" he asked her. "Is there reason ?" she shot back.

"You should probably start to think about the fact that _you´re_ in my bed right now !" he barked, staring down at her while she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"She´s quite gifted, isn´t she ?" she said after a moment, ignoring his former comment. He cocked his head at the peculiar tone of her voice. „And what the hell ´s that supposed to mean again ?" he asked impatiently.

"Look at all their abilities", she only muttered.

He stared down at her neck for a moment, disbelieving. Then snarled._ Good God._ Instead of shouting at him for guarding a woman he had fucked in former times - and maybe still did - the girl sat there and blamed God for the bad luck of not being a mutant.

He would never catch up with women.

"You know, I think you´re really misunderstanding the way they use the word ´gift` around here." She didn´t answer that. "You start to regret you're only a bloody pathetic human ?" he enquired disbelievingly.

"This is your world, not mine, you know", she said lowly.

The sudden change of topic startled him. "And what ?" he challenged. "Don´t like it ?" She withstood his look, biting her lip. "Actually, I do." _So far._ She seemed somehow to sink down on the edge of the large bed. "I just started to wonder if there´s a place for me in it." He slowly shook his head, warningly. He wasn´t goint to discuss shit like this. "Don´t start, girl!" "_You_ wanted to discuss things, no ?" Her voice was getting louder again. "Don´t make me beat that shit out of your head!" he threatened. She looked up to him and he recognized that expression on her face. Girl was getting ready to fight him. He cursed her bloody stubbornness.

"I am not saying I regret not being a mutant! I am just saying that I am a fuckin´ outsider here – and I don´t think I´ll ever be able to get in." It didn´t even sound that angrily – only testily.

He got down to a level that allowed him to talk to her face to face, then grabbed her forearm and forced it up a little. "Look at them!" he barked, referring to the faded scars on her skin. "Fuckin´ _look_ at them! I should really have fucked you once and left you alone after that!" Her head came up at that. "Drown yourself in this inferiority thing if you like, but you _got_ into it the moment you entered that fuckin´ living room of yours waving a shotgun around!" She moved to get away from him, but he grabbed her by the arms, fixing her there. "You _wanted_ me to trust you – now _deal_ with it!" His sudden anger startled her. "I… " A soft knock at the door interrupted her. She hold her breath for a moment. Then sighed. "Creed ?" Blaze softly asked from the other side of the door.

Sethra looked at him when he didn´t react to it. "You got to work", she whispered. It sounded neutral - matter-of-fact. He grabbed her neck for a rough kiss. Then he got up, nodding to the bed. "Get some sleep", he ordered lowly.

* * *

She was dead tired, but sleep wouldn´t come. She got up again after a while, listening to the muffled sounds and noises from the rooms next door. She opened one wing of one of the large windows and sat down at the broad window sill, wrapping her arms around her knees. There _was_ something special about that woman. She had no doubt.

For a while, she gave free reign to her thoughts.

Victor was some kind of unpredictable element of his own. At the beginning of their relationship, she had mused that his tendency for hard sex and her fortunate reduced sensitivity of pain were possibly the only reasons for him to come ´round. She had thought about that a lot, had kept the thoughts at hand - as a consolation if things should finally go wrong. Maybe just to be able to tell herself that she should have known.

Her life had admittedly been more ordinary with Matthew. Undoubtedly safer. Compared to her life right now, deadly boring. And considering the fact that Matthew seemed to have loved a woman she had never really been, in some way maybe only a lie.

Ironically, in some ways, this wayward feral freak was the dream of every woman. He usually knew within seconds about her mood, not even as he was able to smell it, but as he looked at her. _Attentively_. He _listened_. And though her problems would probably appear ridiculously unimportant to him, he had never laughed at her because of them. Or tried to tell her how she should handle things – as long as she hadn´t asked him for it.

And, if he wanted to admit it or not - he _cared_.

The last two days had showed her sides of him and his life she had so far only been able to speculate about.

It was weird to see him interact with these people. Through all the months, she had only glimpsed instants of his life.

He had obviously a remarkable reputation among them. The range varied from distrust over admiration to respect. The Asian woman´s authority was obvious – but it equalled his and didn´t outrun it. From the short pieces of conversation regarding their situation she had witnessed, they equally shared the lead.

It was weird to witness him interact with all of them – but nevertheless quite fascinating.

There was a side of him she still believed to know. He still kept denying it, but there was not only the hard-nosed and unconscionable animal. There was not only ruin and bloodshed.

An animal wouldn´t tease her about her bad cooking and her underdeveloped fighting skills. Animals in general didn´t favour human achievements like Bourbon and baseball and that black humour of his.

They both liked martial arts as well as real Chinese food and nature trips. They shared their interest on weapons, military tactics and cross country cars. A good baseball game as much as a good horror movie, preferably one that would make her shiver and jump and him laughing at her for it.

She still seemed to surprise him from time to time not so much by her knowledge regarding usually more male dominated topics, but by her interest for it. He definitely still surprised her by all the things she had never expected him to know about. There were so many things he knew not only from reading or hearing about it, but from his own experience – as he had gotten to fill an everlasting lifetime.

They had gotten used to live in their own worlds all day. And had somehow managed to create their private world to share through the night.

The fact that they had never been able to share their lives the ordinary way had never bothered them. In her case, it had maybe only encouraged her to hang on.

He made her feel alive. And she was not willing to loose him.

Well, realistically considered, there was no real reason to think that he preferred another woman to her. Not right now. The guy had just bought her a fuckin´ _house_ for her birthday. Though there hadn´t been any time to discuss that, she was quite sure about it by now.

He had hired people to look out for her as he had been worried.

She put her chin down on her arms, frowning.

Fearing another woman´s competition was maybe somehow genetically anchored in her mind like in any other woman´s, too. Maybe in the same way as the owning thing around women seemed somehow to be anchored in every male´s mind, too. She would probably never stop to fear that he would finally leave her for another woman.

Besides that, there would have been only a small chance to find a man of her own age who had never been involved with another woman before. To ask a 150 year old guy for that was just, well, ridiculous.

Lian Mae had already told her that they had been involved for a short while. Decades ago, after Victor had killed the man who had murdered her father.

Sethra just wished he had told her about it himself.

So she realized that she wasn´t that kind of jealous about the fact that Nova was some kind of predecessor to her. She wasn´t even jealous about the fact that Lian Mae was able to read Victor´s mind.

But she had to admit, at least for herself, that she was sickly jealous about the fact that Lian Mae had always known not only a part, but the whole picture.


	18. The goddess of darkness

Only the sound of the door told her that he was back, his movements as usual inaudible for her. She looked over to where she supposed him to be. His eyes reflected the moonlight for a moment, flashing in an unnatural green. Well, unnatural for a human. There were definitely more dangerous parts of his mutation – but this was one, maybe especially as she only noticed it rarely, always scared her.

The fact that he didn´t talk didn´t upset her. She was used to it right now. He went over to her and dragged her to her feet. Not as carefully as had planned to. Not as roughly as she had him expected to do it. Yawning, she followed him to the bed, suddenly realizing how cold she felt after sitting motionless for a while.

She slipped under the sheets. He followed her and she flinched when he bit her neck while she carefully tried to entangle his fingers between his. For the first time since they had come here, she relaxed completely, safely wrapped in his strength and warmth.

Somebody had named the guy right centuries before . He was probably not a winner in that sense of the word. But a fighter. And always struggling for victory. Even if he had wanted to hide it – the strength, the muscles, the claws would always give the feral away. And she had to admit that something inside of her, something she suspected to be very ancient and primary, heartily answered to that, again and again. Physical advantage was possibly not as important anymore as it had been in the early times of mankind and male dominance had definitely gotten out of style. Still, in moments like this, she simply longed for the protection his body offered - and to the arousal his touch brought.

"Stay here!" he ordered, suddenly returning to their interrupted quarrel. "At least ´til this got settled." "I´ll do", she answered lowly. He breathed deeply – the only sign of relief he would show. "Good." He had obviously expected her to contradict again. "You´re as deep into this as we all are", he lowly stated. "There is no chance for some kind of truce with these fellows, I guess ?" she asked. "Don´t think so", he answered. "So it´s a game of all or nothing." She sighed lowly, nestling down against him. "Like every good fight", she stated, quoting a statement that had originally been made by him.

There was silence for a while and she was close to falling asleep when he suddenly spoke again.

"If it makes you feel better, we´ll find you a nice impressive nickname, too", he suggested.

She sighed softly. "_Don´t_ tell me what you got in mind", she answered sleepily. "Besides, I already got one, you know." He was busy leaving another proper bite mark on her body, so it took some moments for him to answer to that. "Did I miss something ?" She laughed lowly. "In ancient Egyptian mythology, Seth was the god of darkness and chaos", she told him. "Old man didn´t know ?" she teased him softly.

This time, he laughed honestly. "Chaos somehow fits." She didn´t comment, but had to laugh herself. "For a goddess of darkness, you´re sometimes pretty afraid of your own field of responsibility." He referred mockingly to her refuses to walk around the house in the dark after watching another too scary movie. "With all the bad and horny mutants walking around nowadays, I just do well to be afraid of the darkness, no ?" she teased casually.

"You´ll never learn to take care of yourself anyway", he answered lowly, causing another stinging bite. "Maybe", she answered quietly. "Just as well as you will never stop to turn my life upside down." "You should have cared for what you wish", he answered only.

* * *

Sethra called her boss next day to ask for some free days – mentioning some kind of family incident. She felt that it would probably become the most exciting holiday she had ever had.

She had no idea where all this would lead – but she was ready to find out right now.

However, she hadn´t expected to get involved in whatever these people were up to. But while the so called x team kept a little distant, it seemed that Nova didn´t want to shut her out.

Lian Mae told Victor her opinion regarding that clearly. Victor expressed his own opinion quite clearly, too. As usual, his tantrum left her quite unimpressed. "What are you going to do ?" she only asked him. "Locking her up in your bedroom ´til somebody sends Jimmy to rescue her ?"

Sethra herself hadn´t been sure what to expect from him. Or what he expected her to act like. He hadn´t given her any hints.

She had wondered sometimes if the fact that she was human – and the fact that he chosen some kind of companion at all – was maybe not only some kind of weak point but somehow embarrassing for him, too. If he didn´t shut her out from the rest of his life for safety reasons only, but also as she was some kind of blemish. Something he didn't want people to know about. Something that didn´t fit his reputation.

She felt still some kind of inferior compared to the mutants around her and she also feared that he would treat her quite condescendingly, like an immature child, maybe – though he had never done that when they had been alone. But wouldn´t everything else mean that he would have to admit that he respected her ?

She realized quickly that Victor didn´t try to separate her from any of the others - though she suspected him of not feeling too comfortable about that during the first few days. She wondered if he was having the same trouble to find her place in this situation she had.

"_And what kind of way you think I look at you ?"_His words kept echoing in her mind.

Admittedly, he treated her different when they were alone. But he didn't tease her the way he usually did while anybody was around. He didn´t mock her. He didn´t give her a single smut comment. The only other woman around who could say that was Lian Mae.

He also didn´t touch her in front of the others – but she realized quickly that he liked to let them see that he claimed her for himself. And she was surprised that he managed to do this without embarrassing her.

So he proved her fears wrong – getting things straight by the things he didn´t instead of by the things he did.

* * *

Things didn´t develop that bad. Well, that was at least Sethra´s impression.

"Faster!" she ordered. Rogue whirled around and Sethra blocked the quite powerful attack almost belatedly this time. "Quite good!" she encouraged the younger one. Logan wrinkled his nose. He was quite sure that the combat trainer had only pretended to have been nearly hit by her attacker- most probably to encourage Rogue. He was sure the girl was faster than she had showed right now. "Don´t use your own strength", she advised calmly. "Use your opponent´s one – he´ll be stronger than you in most cases. Let him do the work for you." Rogue frowned. "Alright", Sethra nodded. "Than let´s have a last try and we´re done for today."

"She´s good", stated Jean quietly besides him. "Regarding her fighting talent or her way with Rogue ?" Logan asked. Jean shrugged. "Regarding both matters", she answered. "You talked to `Ro ?" he asked. Jean suppressed a sigh. "I did. But she stays with her opinion." They watched Rogue´s next attack. Logan realized clearly Sethra´s defense – and the suppressed reflex to fight back immediately. "Does she really hate Victor as much as I think she does ?" Logan asked. Jean nodded. "I think so. But don´t ask me why – I don´t know." "What did Victor do to here ? He defeated her in a fight or something ?" Jean smiled. Ororo was admittedly quite touchy about people defeating her in a good fight.

Rogue and Sethra had decided to call it a day. Rogue looked exhausted, but Logan noticed contentedly that she didn't look as disappointed and frustrated as she had looked after their last training.

"May I ask you something personal ?" Rogue asked hesitantly. Sethra nodded, though not sure what to expect. "Is it true you´re with Creed ?" the younger one asked. Sethra smiled. "Yeah. That´s true." Jean, who had overheard the question, gave a surprised sound. "Rogue!" she admonished. Sethra waved a hand. "It´s no problem. It´s not a secret." Rogue had blushed. "Sorry! I mean…I didn´t…" Sethra waved a hand. "It´s no problem. It´s not a secret." Logan padded Rogue´s shoulder. "Good job", he told her. It made her only blush deeper. "Thanks." She smiled to him, then turned to Sethra. "Thanks to you, too. Is there already some kind of schedule or something ?" Sethra shook her head. "Not yet", she answered evasively. Rogue shrugged. "Then just let me know", she said. She waved to the others, still embarrassed by her own curiosity, and hurried to leave.

Sethra watched her for a moment, then laughed, turning to the others. "And I was scared that the fact that I am not a mutant would be a problem!" Jean shook her head. "So what do you think ?" she asked then. "About Marie ? She´s got talent, that´s clear!" Sethra grinned mischievously. "Though I really wonder where she learned to fight like a thug." She threw Logan a suspicious look. "She´s got you, you know", Jean told him, smiling. Logan shrugged.

"I understood that you got the same kind of healing factor as Victor ?" Sethra enquired. Logan nodded. She grinned. "Curious how I would try to cope with a guy like you ?" she asked, still smiling. She had worked long enough with men to know about his thoughts. It was one thing to fight back an attacker of the same height and strength. But they _all_ wanted to see and try how she would try to cope fighting them. "She´s got you again", Jean mused, as well smiling. "Well, why not ?" he answered. "Just don´t try to headbutt me", he advised her comradely. "My head´s harder than Victor´s."

* * *

Lian Mae, on her way back to her rooms and accompanied by Victor, Daria and Blaze, stopped in her tracks. Victor raised an eyebrow in a questioning look. "Just go ahead, girls", she told them. "I think there´s something Victor and I should take a look at", she answered mysteriously.

Sethra felt the light excitement of a not too serious but still real fight as well as the comparably weak rush of adrenaline. She was used to fight Victor by now. After the incident at the blockhouse during their trip to the Rockies, they had decided to add some kind of anti mutant training to her normal training and it gave her some advantage. Still, though they were similarly built, fighting Logan was something completely different. His fighting technique – if you could call the bar brawl style he paraded like that – was completely different, his movements more powerful and less lithe as Victor´s. And the metal on his bones made him much heavier than his not even light weighted brother – what made it hard to get him down. Concentrating on her opponent, she missed that Storm entered the room.

When Lian Mae and Victor entered, Logan had just missed Sethra and his own momentum made him lose his balance. She had had to keep him busy for quite a while until she saw the first chance to get him there. Still, waiting for it was worth it.

Victor didn't show it, but liked to laugh out loudly. He should have known that she would pick the obviously biggest bad guy to find to prove herself. They joined Storm and Jean watching them.

Lian Mae only smiled when she perceived the older feral´s emotions.

Little girl made him proud.

Compared to the time they had first met, she was in great shape nowadays. She _was_ skilled and fast. Well, considering both her disadvantages, being a woman and a human.

Their first workout had ended quite quickly and unfortunate – he had broken her nose within a minute. He hadn´t been very impressed back then. Nowadays, she _would_ hit him. Seriously. And would make him getting fucking angry by slipping through his fingers under his eyes. Her hits were not fatal, they would never be for him. But they were _annoying_. Mean stinging blows and strokes. The runt was just making the same experiences and he didn´t pity him.

Most surprising for Victor had been that she would never get angry in training.

Never ever.

He had tried to badger her, to tease her, to make her freak out, presuming that she would loose nerves quickly. She would have been even easier to tackle then. Getting angry, she would become careless and easy to trick.

To his complete surprise, he failed. That hot headed girl that dared to shout bloody hell and murder at him for the smallest reasons, couldn´t be unnerved that easily – well, not in a fight.

He had witnessed her fight in training only once before, when he had observed her fighting that Air Force guy, Cameron. She had lost nerves _then_, and she had been quite aggressive. It would have been easy for the guy to beat her up. It had left Victor wondering how such an uncontrolled broad had been able to work for the Army. He had gotten the hang of that quite late – back at that time, she had _wanted_ to lose control. In a normal training fight, she had a degree of control about her temper that astonished him.

Back to the here and now, she did good though Jimmy was surely not nearly close to his limits. But as this was actually meant as some kind of test, things developed nicely for her.

Victor scanned over the woman´s faces. The redhead looked quite impressed. Well, a woman who had gotten involved with his brother wouldn´t be hard to impress anyway. The weather witch looked sullen – nothing new, but it annoyed him. Jean flinched. Logan had just hit Victor´s girl.

Sethra got up within seconds by making her body jerking up like a depressurized spring. She noticed the bleeding nose belatedly and grinned. "You´re alright ?" Logan asked her, concerned. She chuckled and waved a hand, wiping the blood away with the back of her other hand. "Trust me – I´ve been trough worse", she told him. "Break ?" Logan suggested. She nodded. "I just need the bleeding to stop", she assured him. "We can go on then."

Lian Mae turned to Victor whose expression had frozen the second he had smelled Sethra´s blood. Now he watched them darkly coming over to them

Logan tensed at the dark expression on his brother´s face but the older one turned to examine the damage on Sethra´s face. "Not broken", she stated lowly with a smile. "You´re too slow", he answered gruffly. "Really ?" she shot back, throwing him a disapproving look. "Do something against that!" he ordered her with some light disdain in his tone, as if bleeding were some kind of disgusting human habit.

"Why don´t you fill in for her meanwhile ?" Lian Mae suggested sardonically, her face an innocent mask. "Just to keep him busy ?"

She knew it wouldn´t take much to encourage him.

Victor´s eyes narrowed. Logan´s expression got darker.

"Fist fight ?" the younger one suggested. "Scared I´ll gut you in front of your chick ?" the older one teased. Still, he agreed. "I don´t want the girls to pass out the moment I get you bleeding", he stated. They changed another dark look, then Victor pulled his shirt over his head. They moved some steps away to the middle of the room. Victor bent forward a little.

"I am gonna screw you up for making the frail bleed", he promised lowly. "By what ?" Logan returned grumpily. "You´re swanky talking ?"

Watching the brothers fight made Sethra forget about her bleeding nose immediately.

If she hadn´t known which of them was the older and which the younger one, she would have realized it clearly. Where Victor fought with the usual self confidence of a winner, Logan fought with the stubbornness and rage of a younger and usually suppressed sibling.

Watching them redefined her interpretation of rage.

After some minutes, unnoticed from the others, Lian Mae closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate.

When she opened them again, she had succeeded to get into Logan´s head – enabling Victor to foresee the brother´s next attack. The older feral, realizing the unexpected but quite entertaining interference, growled in anticipation. He landed a blow that hard that he could hear Jimmy´s collarbone break. "Nova !" Jean cried out, scandalized, her eyes still focused on the combatants. Nowadays, she had not even to use her hands to use her own powers – freezing the men right where they stood. It causes both of them to growl.

Lian Mae turned to the redheaded woman, smiling. She broke contact. "Sorry", she said casually. "Happened just out of habit." Jean released the brothers who turned, looking similarly annoyed by now. "What the hell ?!" Logan hissed. Jean turned to Nova. "You´re cheating", she accused the other woman, her tone telling that she was only amused. "I am sorry", Lian Mae excused. "It was just too tempting. We should really have another danger room session together." "You´re still much too weak for that", Victor barked.

The Asian woman ignored him and gestured to Daria. "Time for us to go", she said with a wink to Jean. _You should really think about shielding Logan´s mind, _she added mentally. _He didn´t even feel the approach, didn´t he ?_ Both women looked at each other for a moment, surprised. _Victor would notice it ? _Jean enquired silently. Nova confirmed. "See you later", she then muttered, leaving.

Logan relaxed, sighing. Their fight had been interrupted and they seemed both not angry enough to continue it right now. Jean´s mental abilities alone were more than stunning and he was used to the professor´s, but having too many unpredictable mind readers around just unnerved him.

He wondered if this was exactly why his brother had chosen a human ´frail`.


	19. Showoff

_Short one - I´ll need some warm up :-)_

* * *

„Get up." Sethra sighed, cautiously touching her bleeding nose. "Not broken", she stated, getting back to her feet. _This time._ Though making her bleed seemed somehow to run in the family, she mused. She wiped the blood away with her forearm – only making things look worse. "Still too slow!" Victor growled. She stretched the muscles of her shoulders for a second, unimpressed. The guy kept saying that. Still pretending to examine her nose, she lunged at him with a straight blow. He eluded her attack, pushing her hard forward by a shove against her shoulder. She turned to him – quite quickly this time – and was lucky to manage diving beyond his own attack. The blow would have made her fade out immediately. Still, he brought one leg behind one of hers and made her stumble, badly trying to stay upright. He elbowed her in the back and she got finally down on all fours. Blood dripped to the training area´s floor. She got up again – she had stopped on counting how many times she had done that this morning.

Victor decided to call it a day. The not so frail frail looked exhausted right now and he hadn´t granted her too much sleep the night before. Though he knew she could take more. But considering that the fact that there was still blood trickling from her nose, it was better not to cross the line. They had _that_ particular problem under control nowadays. Well, most of the time. Besides, there was a big difference between blood and sex and blood and a fight. Both combinations caused a kind of arousal in him – challenged the animal. But they kept things strictly separated from each other – which made it easier for him to control them – and they also kept scruffling as a tabu outside a training room. There would have been no good in that. Things had once gotten out of control – and one time had been enough.

He caught her chin, slippery from the blood, and bent down for a rough kiss. It took her completely by surprise. Still, she responded to that quite heartily, knowing that the blood and the French kiss would drive him half crazy. Actually, it drove her half crazy, too, and she blushed admitting it to herself. She slightly gasped when he released her, her blood still on his lips.

"Holy shit!" she muttered, appreciating.

"When will you learn that frails aren´t made to fight ?" he teased her. "At least not men ?"

"Don´t wanna accompany me to the shower ?" she whispered suggestively. He only chuckled.

Then somebody cleared his throat.

Sethra turned her head. Ororo and Jean stood there, right for their own training - watching. She blushed immediately – realizing that he had set up that little show for them. "You knew!" she hissed. He only flashed a grin – meaning yes. She didn´t want to know how long they had been watching. "Forget about your shower!" she threatened.

She wasn´t sure if the two mutant women had any idea of what they should think about this. Jean´s face showed her discomfort openly. Ororo looked unimpressed, but Sethra could imagine that the weather goddess hadn´t liked the show either. It seemed that they still didn't know what to make out of Victor. Or maybe that they still didn´t trust him about controlling the animal.

She realized just a while afterwards under the shower that the guy had actually been _showing of_ with her. He had kept his hands away from her when they had been with the others – though he hadn´t cared if anybody interrupted a moment of privacy. But the bloody kiss must have been more than convenient for him. Provoking the women. Mocking them for their own attitude.

She got out of the shower, admiring her swollen nose in a mirror. She was surprised by the way he had chosen to claim her – proving dominance without embarrassing her too much.


	20. Back in five

„What the hell takes her so long ?" Logan rumbled. Jean only smiled. "She left just a minute ago." Sethra had finally persuaded them to stop by at her house so that she could pick up some more clothes. Logan only growled. Things like these tested his patience.

It took Sethra only minutes to pack some additional stuff. Victor had left early in the morning, accompanying Lian Mae finally back to her own place. She had stretched lazily under his touch when he had returned to the bed right before leaving.

"I want you to stay here." The formulation had surprised her. She was used to him giving orders. Hearing him expressing wishes was a rather surprising. She had at the same time been sure that he hadn´t been already done.

"If you do something stupid and I´ll have to come for you to get you out of whatever shit you´ve gotten yourself into again, I swear you´ll bitterly regret it." She had mused that if the length and firmness of that vow could be taken as an indicator for his determination, this was _fuckin´_ serious.

Remembering the scene, she was just right out of the door when a car got into the driveway. She looked up, startled. Then froze.

"Fuck!" Logan cursed, opening the door of the car at the sight of the guy. "Wait!" Jean grabbed his arm. "I think she knows him."

Sethra sighed – this visit was the last thing she just needed. Matthew crossed the driveway.

"You´re on the leave ?" he asked. She shoved her sunglasses up and used it to keep some strands of hair out of her face, looking at her former boyfriend. He was as usually stating the obvious. "Yeah. Hi, besides." He looked a little taken aback after eyeing her up for a moment. "Hi", he answered lowly. "So what are you doing here ?" she asked bluntly. "I had some business around here." She nodded slowly. "I thought we could possibly have dinner together", he stated. "For old times´ sake."

Sethra didn´t trust her ears. Would this guy ever get the hang of it ?

"I am sorry", she told him resolutely, "but I got an appointment for training today." "Do you ?" he asked suspiciously back. She cocked her head.

"I don´t like the guy", Logan muttered darkly. "Just give them two more minutes", Jean suggested. "Smells greasy", Logan grunted.

"Is that true or is it as you´re still with _him_ ?" Matthew asked.

For reasons she still didn´t understand, she had this man always given the nice girl. Had always hesitated to quarrel or shout at him. Even the last time they had seen each other, though only Donna´s interference had stopped her from knocking him out back then. Victor would have loved the sight.

Unfortunately – or at least, fortunately for Matthew - , Victor didn´t know about it. Not about that special encounter and not about the fact that from time to time, Matthew still called her. Or at least tried to.

Sethra took her sunglasses off, nodding politely to the neighbour from next door.

"Do you really think I need to lie to you ?" She turned a little to grant him a better sight at the bite marks down her neck. "So did I answer all your questions ?" she asked dryly.

"I just refuse to believe that you have really changed like that", he stated, bewildered. "You just deserve better than…."

Her stare made him stop talking just in time.

"What were you going to say?" she challenged lowly. "That bloody freak ? That nasty mutant ?"

He took a step forward and intended to speak up again, but she cut him short immediately.

"Stop calling me, Matthew. You´re pretty lucky he´s not around." She shouldered her bag. "You´re right, you know ? He´s really a bad guy. A big bad nasty bastard – fuckin´ mean!" _And the best fuck I´ve ever had_, she added privately – the rather rude thought made her want to chuckle. She had really spent too much time with a certain mutant. "Do both of us a favour and stay out of his way", she advised him, turning to leave.

"You should really stop meeting that kind of scum", he told her as she passed by, reaching out for her shoulder.

"That´s really enough now!" Logan snarled. Jean knew how to read the signs, grabbing him by the arm, strongly. "Don´t !"

Sethra avoided Matthews touch by a quick move. "_Don´t –_ touch - me!" she advised him.

"What the hell do you want with that guy ?" he exclaimed impatiently then.

"Did it ever occur to you that I possibly love him ?" she snapped, her voice lower than his.

"Do you even know what that word means ?" he shot back, suddenly sounding hurt.

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering why conversations with this man always had to turn into something that ridiculous.

"Did you ever watch `Fight club` ?" she asked, changing topics abruptly, looking up to him.

"What the hell you´re talking about ?" he asked back, finally stunned.

She put her sunglasses on again. "Did you ever experience the sudden wish to beat the living hell out of somebody just for disliking his pretty face ?" she enquired. He only looked at her, silenced by the anger in her voice. "You´re lucky I already got people waiting for me over there", she told him, gesturing towards the car on the other side of the road. "Otherwise, I would really like to break your pretty little perfect nose!" She was surprised how perfectly this description matched her feelings. She would have loved to headbutt the guy into unconsciousness or at least slap him pretty girlishly. She would probably have done it if there wouldn´t have been people around to witness.

But it wouldn´t have been Victor´s way, she mused while she crossed the street. He would only have mocked her for loosing her temper. She mused that she was right now supposed to enjoy the last expression on Matthew´s face - giving the guy a nice little exaggerated threat and flexing muscles had really been pleasant enough. And though she mused that she was not that convincing flexing muscles in general, it had hopefully been enough to scare the guy away finally – and it had definitely just been Victor´s way.

Watching Sethra crossing the road, heading for the car, Logan started the engine. "Seems she was able to handle things on her own", Jean stated. Logan only snarled and threw the human girl a curious look when she climbed to the backseat, but didn´t comment. He really started to like her.


	21. Kidnapped

_It´s been a while and I am litte bit out of practice, but I got some ideas left ... :-) a little confusion now, but stay with me - the fog will lift..._

* * *

„Is there nothing else you remember ?" Ororo asked for the uptenth time.

"Hell, no!" Logan snarled, finally raising his voice.

Ororo turned to the Professor.

"You have to read his mind!"

Xavier nodded. "I will, Ororo – if Logan agrees."

Logan gave only a low snarl this time. He didn´t like the idea, but knew that the old man wouldn´t hurt him – and that it was possibly the only way to find something out about the people who had just kidnapped Jean.

Ororo made some steps, then turned again to the others.

"We got to do something – _now_ !"

Xavier blinked for a moment, then refocused.

"Lian Mae arrived", he stated.

Ororo and Logan sighed, awaiting only more questions they had no answer for.

"I really hope she´s got only the wolfgirl with her today", Logan muttered.

Jean hadn´t been today´s only kidnap victim and the usually rather fearless feral was not sure how to explain the fact to his brother.

Logan watched the faces of the people present, one by one. The room had fallen silent

Ororo finally got up and walked over to one of the large windows of Xavier´s office to look over the park outside.

"What the hell do they want with them ?" she whispered, more to herself.

"No matter what, we better find them quickly!" Logan muttered.

Lian Mae cleared her throat.

"Whatever they want with them, and however they managed to overwhelm my husband without getting right away, so far, he´s alive."

Xavier looked thoughtful.

"I suppose you share a psychic bond ?" he asked.

Lian Mae nodded.

"He´s probably somehow sedated or something, but he´s alright. I guess they …"

"Alright!" Logan interrupted. "´s there any way to locate them by this…bond ?"

Lian Mae shook her head.

"No."

She turned to Xavier.

"Unless…."

The professor raised his eyebrows.

"You´re proposing to use Cerebro ?" Ororo asked.

Lian Mae hadn't lost eye contact with Xavier.

"It´s dangerous", the old mutant told her.

A tired smile appeared on her face.

"You know I can do it", she answered. "I am not as unstable as Jean, Charles."

She raised one hand belatedly in a soothing gesture towards Logan.

"No offence", she added without looking at him.

"Maybe it´s only what they´re waiting for", Ororo threw in.

"And maybe it´s our only chance", Lian Mae returned calmly. "Anyway, we should at least wait for…"

She was interrupted by the large double door flying open.

Victor didn´t care for the people and furniture in his way. Ororo reacted just in time to avoid getting knocked down when he leaped forward. It took him only an instant to cross the room and grab Logan by the throat.

He smashed the younger sibling so hard against the cabinet behind him that some glass panels burst.

People around them jumped up, as surprised by the older feral´s entrance as worried.

"Victor !" Xavier exclaimed vividly.

"Two days, you fool!" Victor muttered between gritted teeth. "I asked you to look out for her for two days and you lost her within hours!"

Logan only gasped – Victor´s hard grip didn´t allow him any answer.

"Victor", Xavier insisted. "Please."

Blaze stopped on the doorsill, contemplating the scene in front of her with surprise.

"Let go of that poor brother of yours, Creed", she suggested in her usual slack manner. "I got news!"

Lian Mae turned to her sister in law, a hopeful expression on her face.

"We just heard from our contact at Miller´s base", Blaze said.

Lian Mae breathed up.

"Thank God for that!"

Blaze stepped into the room and closed the doors behind her.

"You got a _spy_ there ?" Ororo asked, enraged. "So much for sharing information with us, huh ?"

Lian Mae ignored her words with a short gesture.

"What news ?"

"The cover´s still intact, there was only some trouble to get in contact with us. Miller holds Jeff and Jean and the others there, but there´s obviously been some kind of delay in whatever they´re planning. So far, they´re alright!"

"Would you mind explaing !" Ororo snapped towards Lian Mae.

Victor, keeping Logan still pinned against the piece of furniture at his back, turned half.

"Who do you got there ?" he snarled. "We´re supposed to believe that story of communications trouble getting solved right now ?"

"The contact´s reliable", Lian stated quietly.

Victor snarled shortly.

"Tell me who you got there and I tell you about his reliability!"

Blaze and Lian Mae exchanged an awkward look.

Victor cocked his head.

Then he growled lowly, a rather worrying thought rising up in his mind.

Lian Mae turned to Victor, raising both her hands in a helpless gesture.

"It´s Amber", Blaze answered casually before Lian Mae could, her gaze wandering from Victor to Logan who seemed to have decided not to struggle against his brother´s grip, at least for the moment.

Victor let up on his brother as quickly as he had grabbed him in the first place. Logan struggled for balance for a moment, massaging his throat sullenly.

"You´re kidding!" Victor barked at Lian who only shook her head slowly.

"Blaze is right, Vic. She volunteered for the job." Lian flung her arms around her shoulders as if she was freezing.

"Any doubts about her reliability ?" Blaze asked, her eyebrows raised.

Victor ignored her.

"I don´t give a shit about what she volunteered for!" he sneered.

"Would somebody mind explaining !" Ororo interrupted harshly.

Xavier sat back in his wheelchair, rubbing his forehead for a second to focus again.

"I had just suggested to try and use Cerebro to find our people."

Lian Mae sat down again.

"But we now know where they are", Logan summarized.

She nodded.

"Still, we don´t know what Miller´s up to. We should think about trying to find out more about the conditions out there before we take action", Lian Mae suggested.

This time, two ferals growled in impatience.


End file.
